THE BRIDE OF ABYDOS. CANTO I. I. KNOW Now ye the land where the cypress and myrtle Are emblems of deeds that are done in their clime? Where the rage of the vulture, the love of the turtle, Now melt into sorrow, now madden to crime? Know ye the land of the cedar and vine, Where the flowers ever blossom, the beams ever shine; 'Tis the clime of the East; 'tis the land of the SunCan he smile on such deeds as his children have done? 2 Oh! wild as the accents of lovers' farewell Are the hearts which they bear, and the tales which they tell. II. Begirt with many a gallant slave, Awaiting each his Lord's behest Deep thought was in his aged eye; His pensive check and pondering brow III. «Let the chamber be cleared.»-The train disappeared And the Nubian awaiting the sire's award. ་་ ་་ (Woe to the head whose eye beheld Hence, lead my daughter from the tower; « Her fate is fixed this very hour: «Yet not to her repeat my thought ; No more must slave to despot say— First lowly rendering reverence meet ; " Father! for fear that thou should'st chide Know, for the fault, if fault there be, « That let the old and weary sleep<< I could not; and to view alone « The fairest scenes of land and deep, « With none to listen and reply « To thoughts with which my heart beat high « Were irksome for whate'er my mood, « In sooth I love not solitude e; « I on Zuleika's slumber broke, " 3 And, as thou knowest that for me « Soon turns the Haram's grating key, «Before the guardian slaves awoke « We to the cypress groves had flown, « And made earth, main, and heaven our own! There lingered we, beguiled too long With Mejnoun's tale, or Sadi's song; Till I, who heard the deep tambour 4 Beat thy Divan's approaching hour, «To thee and to my duty true, « Warned by the sound, to greet << But there Zuleika wanders yetNay, father, rage not-nor forget «That none can pierce that secret bower "But those who watch the women's tower. >> ་་ IV. thee flew : "Son of a slave »-the Pacha saidFrom unbelieving mother bred, « Vain were a father's hope to see Aught that beseems a man in thee. « Thou, when thine arm should bend the bow, «And hurl the dart, and curb the steed, Thou, Greek in soul if not in creed, « Must pore where babbling waters flow, «And watch unfolding roses blow. Would that yon orb, whose matin glow « Thy listless eyes so much admire, ་་ « Would lend thee something of his fire! ་་ " " Thou, who wouldst see this battlement Nay, tamely view old Stambol's wall « Before the dogs of Moscow fall, «Nor strike one stroke for life and death Against the curs of Nazareth! "Go-let thy less than woman's hand « But, Haroun!-to my daughter speed: « Thou see'st yon bow-it hath a string! » V. No sound from Selim's lip was heard, And started; for within his eye He read how much his wrath had done; "Come hither, boy-what, no reply? That eye returned him glance for glance, And proudly to his sire's was raised, Till Giaffir's quailed and shrunk askanceAnd why-he felt, but durst not tell. «Much I misdoubt this wayward boy « Will one day work me more annoy : « I never loved him from his birth, « And—but his arm is little worth, « And scarcely in the chase could « With timid fawn or antelope, "Far less would venture into strife cope ་་ Where man contends for fame and life I would not trust that look or tone: « No-nor the blood so near my own. ་་ tt That blood-he hath not heard-no more I'll watch him closer than before. He is an Arab to my sight, « Or Christian crouching in the fight«But hark! I hear Zuleika's voice; « Like Houris' hymn it meets mine ear: <«< She is the offspring of my choice; «O! more than ev'n her mother dear, * |