« Or some unknown cabal, caprice, « Preserved me thus ;-but not in peace : «< He cannot curb his haughty mood, «Nor I forgive a father's blood. XVI. << Within thy father's house are foes; « Not all who break his bread are true: «To these should I my birth disclose, ་་ « His days, his very hours were few. They only want a heart to lead, « A hand to point them to the deed. «But Haroun only knows, or knew ་་ This tale, whose close is almost nigh: "He in Abdallah's palace grew, « And held that post in his Serai « Which holds he here-he saw him die: « But what could single slavery do? ་ Avenge his lord? alas! too late; «Or save his son from such a fate? « He chose the last, and when elate « With foes subdued, or friends betrayed, « Proud Giaffir in high triumph sate, « He led me helpless to his gate, ་་ And not in vain it seems essayed «To save the life for which he prayed. « The knowledge of my birth secured « From all and each, but most from me; « Thus Giaffir's safety was ensured. « Removed he too from Roumelie « To this our Asiatic side, « Far from our seats by Danube's tide, << With none but Haroun, who retains « Such knowledge-and that Nubian feels " " A tyrant's secrets are but chains, « From which the captive gladly steals, And this and more to me reveals: « Such still to guilt just Alla sends Slaves, tools, accomplices-no friends! XVII. « All this, Zuleika, harshly sounds « And long must wear: this Galiongee, « Whose laws and lives are on their swords; «To hear whose desolating tale Would make thy waning cheek more pale : "Those arms thou see'st my band have brought, «The hands that wield are not remote; " This cup too for the rugged knaves « Is filled-once quaffed, they ne'er repine: « Our Prophet might forgive the slaves; « They're only infidels in wine. XVIII. "What could I be? Proscribed at home, Though oft-Oh, Mahomet! how oft !→ «< In full Divan the despot scoffed, As if my weak unwilling hand « Refused the bridle or the brand: "He ever went to war alone, And pent me here untried, unknown; «To Haroun's care with women left, " By hope unblest, of fame bereft. While thou-whose softness long endeared, Though it unmanned me, still had cheered« To Brusa's walls for safety sent, ་་ ་ Awaited'st there the field's event. Haroun, who saw my spirit pining Beneath inaction's sluggish yoke, His captive, though with dread resigning, " « On promise to return before « The day when Giaffir's charge was o'er. t ་་ 'Tis vain-my tongue can not impart My almost drunkenness of heart, « When first this liberated eye Surveyed Earth, Ocean, Sun and Sky, «As if my spirit pierced them through, «And all their inmost wonders knew! « One word alone can paint to thee "That more than feeling-I was Free! "E'en for thy presence ceased to pine; « The World-nay-Heaven itself was mine! XIX. «The shallop of a trusty Moor ་་ Conveyed me from this idle shore; << I longed to see the isles that gem I sought by turns, and saw them all; 34 « But when and where I joined the crew, « With whom I'm pledged to rise or fall, << When all that we design to do << Is done, twill then be time more meet «To tell thee, when the tale's complete. ་ XX. 'Tis true, they are a lawless brood, "But rough in form, nor mild in mood, And every creed, and every race, « With them hath found-may find a place : «But open speech, and ready hand, << Obedience to their chief's command; « A soul for every enterprize, « That never sees with terror's eyes; ་ Friendship for each, and faith to all, « And vengeance vow'd for those who fall, "Have made them fitting instruments << For more than ev'n my own intents. «And some-and I have studied all Distinguished from the vulgar rank, << But chiefly to my council call "The wisdom of the cautious Frank« And some to higher thoughts, aspire, « The last of Lambro's 35 patriots there "Anticipated freedom share; « And oft around the cayern fire « On visionary schemes debate, «To snatch the Rayahs 36 from their fate. «So let them ease their hearts with prate "Of equal rights, which man ne'er knew; I have a love for freedom too. Ay! let me like the Ocean-Patriarch 37 roam, « Or only know on land the Tartar's home! 38 ་་ My tent on shore, my galley on the sea, « Are more than cities and Serais to me : "Borne by my steed, or wafted by my sail, « Across the desart, or before the gale, « Bound where thou wilt, my barb! or glide my prow «But be the star that guides the wanderer, Thou! ་་ Thou, my Zuleika, share and bless my bark; « The dove of peace and promise to mine ark! Blest-as the Muezzin's strain from Mecca's wall «That steals the trembling tear of speechless praise; « Shall sound each tone thy long-loved voice endears. For thee in those bright isles is built a bower ་་ Blooming as Aden 39 in its earliest hour. « A thousand swords, with Selim's heart and hand, « The spoil of nations shall bedeck my bride. « Unnumbered perils-but one only love! ! |