The many-coloured[92] domes Yet wore one dusky hue, The Cranes upon the Mosque Kept their night-clatter[93] still, When thro' the gate the early Traveller past.

And when at evening o'er the swampy plain The Bittern's[94] Boom came far, Distinct in darkness seen Above the low horizon's lingering light Rose the near ruins of old Babylon.

Once from her lofty walls[95] the Charioteer Looked down on swarming myriads; once she flung Her arches o'er Euphrates conquered tide, And thro' her brazen portals when she poured Her armies forth, the distant nations looked As men who watched the thunder-cloud in fear Lest it should burst above them. She was fallen, The Queen of Cities, Babylon was fallen!

Low lay her bulwarks; the black scorpion basked In the palace courts, within her sanctuary The She Wolf hid her whelps.

Is yonder huge and shapeless heap, what once Had been the aerial[96] Gardens, height on height Rising like Medias mountains crowned with wood, Work of imperial dotage? where the fame Of[97] Belus? where the Golden Image now, Which at the sound of dulcimer and lute, Cornet and sackbut, harp and psaltery, The a.s.syrian slaves adored?

A labyrinth of ruins, Babylon Spreads o'er the blasted plain: The wandering Arab never sets his tent Within her walls; the Shepherd[98] eyes afar Her evil Towers, and devious drives his flock.

Alone unchanged, a free and bridgeless tide Euphrates rolls along, Eternal Nature's work.

Thro' the broken portal, Over weedy fragments, Thalaba went his way.

Cautious he trod, and felt The dangerous ground before him with his bow.

The Chacal started at his steps, The Stork, alarmed at sound of man, From her broad nest upon the old pillar top, Affrighted fled on flapping wings.

The Adder in her haunts disturbed Lanced at the intruding staff her arrowy tongue.

Twilight and moonshine dimly mingling gave An aweful light obscure, Evening not wholly closed, The Moon still pale and faint.

An aweful light obscure, Broken by many a ma.s.s of blackest shade; Long column stretching dark thro' weeds and moss, Broad length of lofty wall Whose windows lay in light, And of their former shape, low-arched or square, Rude outline on the earth Figured, with long gra.s.s fringed.

Reclined against a column's broken shaft, Unknowing whitherward to bend his way He stood and gazed around.

The Ruins closed him in, It seemed as if no foot of man For ages had intruded there.

Soon at approaching step Starting, he turned and saw A warrior in the moon beam drawing near.

Forward the Stranger came And with a curious eye Perused the Arab youth.

"And who art thou," he cried, "That at an hour like this "Wanderest in Babylon?

"A way-bewildered traveller, seekest thou "The ruinous shelter here?

"Or comest thou to hide "The plunder of the night?

"Or hast thou spells to make "These ruins, yawning from their rooted base "Disclose their secret[99] wealth?"

The youth replied, "nor wandering traveller "Nor robber of the night "Nor skilled in spells am I.

"I seek the Angels here, "Haruth and Maruth. Stranger in thy turn, "Why wanderest thou in Babylon, "And who art thou, the Questioner?"

The man was fearless, and the tempered pride That toned the voice of Thalaba Displeased not him, himself of haughty heart.

Heedless he answered, "knowest thou "Their cave of punishment?"

THALABA.

Vainly I seek it.

STRANGER.

Art thou firm of foot To tread the ways of danger?

THALABA.

Point the path!

STRANGER.

Young Arab! if thou hast a heart can beat Evenly in danger, if thy bowels yearn not With human fears, at scenes where undisgraced The soldier tried in battle might look back And tremble, follow me!... for I am bound Into that cave of horrors.

Thalaba Gazed on his comrade, he was young, of port Stately and strong; belike his face had pleased A woman's eye, yet the youth read in it Unrestrained pa.s.sions, the obdurate soul Bold in all evil daring; and it taught, By Nature's irresistible instinct, doubt Well timed and wary. Of himself a.s.sured, Fearless of man, and confident in faith, "Lead on!" cried Thalaba.

Mohareb led the way; And thro' the ruined streets, And thro' the farther gate They past in silence on.

What sound is borne on the wind?

Is it the storm that shakes The thousand oaks of the forest?

But Thalaba's long locks Flow down his shoulders moveless, and the wind In his loose mantle raises not one fold.

Is it the river's roar Dashed down some rocky descent?

Along the level plain Euphrates glides unheard.

What sound disturbs the night, Loud as the summer forest in the storm, As the river that roars among rocks?

And what the heavy cloud That hangs upon the vale, Thick as the mist o'er a well-watered plain Settling at evening, when the cooler air Lets its day-vapours fall; Black as the sulphur-cloud That thro' Vesuvius, or from Hecla's mouth Rolls up, ascending from the infernal fires.

From Ait's bitumen[100] lake That heavy cloud ascends; That everlasting roar From where its gushing springs Boil their black billows up.

Silent the Arab youth, Along the verge of that wide lake, Followed Mohareb's way Towards a ridge of rocks that banked its side.

There from a cave with torrent force, And everlasting roar, The black bitumen rolled.

The moonlight lay upon the rocks.

Their crags were visible, The shade of jutting cliffs, And where broad lichens whitened some smooth spot, And where the ivy hung Its flowing tresses down.

A little way within the cave The moonlight fell, glossing the sable tide That gushed tumultuous out.

A little way it entered, then the rock Arching its entrance, and the winding way, Darkened the unseen depths.

No eye of mortal man If unenabled by enchanted spell, Had pierced those fearful depths.

For mingling with the roar Of the portentous torrent, oft were heard Shrieks, and wild yells that scared The brooding Eagle from her midnight nest.

The affrighted countrymen Call it the Mouth of h.e.l.l; And ever when their way leads near They hurry with averted eyes, And dropping their beads[101] fast p.r.o.nounce the holy name.

There pausing at the cavern mouth Mohareb turned to Thalaba, "Now darest thou enter in?"

"Behold!" the youth replied, And leading in his turn the dangerous way Set foot within the cave.

"Stay Madman!" cried his comrade. "Wouldst thou rush "Headlong to certain death?

"Where are thine arms to meet "The Guardian of the Pa.s.sage?" a loud shriek That shook along the windings of the cave Scattered the youth's reply.

Mohareb when the long reechoing ceased Exclaimed, "Fate favoured thee, "Young Arab! when she wrote[102] upon thy brow "The meeting of to-night; "Else surely had thy name "This hour been blotted from the Book of Life!"

So saying from beneath His cloak a bag he drew; "Young Arab! thou art brave," he cried, "But thus to rush on danger unprepared, "As lions spring upon the hunter's spear, "Is blind, brute courage. Zohak[103] keeps the cave, "Giantly tyrant of primeval days.

"Force cannot win the pa.s.sage." Thus he said And from his wallet drew a human hand Shrivelled, and dry, and black, And fitting as he spake A taper in its hold, Pursued: "a murderer on the stake had died, "I drove the Vulture from his limbs, and lopt "The hand that did the murder, and drew up "The tendon-strings to close its grasp, "And in the sun and wind "Parched it, nine weeks exposed.

"The Taper,... but not here the place to impart, "Nor hast thou done the rites, "That fit thee to partake the mystery.

"Look! it burns clear, but with the air around "Its dead ingredients mingle deathiness.

"This when the Keeper of the Cave shall feel, "Maugre the doom of Heaven, "The salutary[104] spell "Shall lull his penal agony to sleep "And leave the pa.s.sage free."

Thalaba answered not.

Nor was there time for answer now, For lo! Mohareb leads, And o'er the vaulted cave Trembles the accursed taper's feeble light.

There where the narrowing chasm Rose loftier in the hill, Stood Zohak, wretched man, condemned to keep His Cave of punishment.

His was the frequent scream Which far away the prowling Chacal heard And howled in terror back: For from his shoulders grew Two snakes of monster size, That ever at his head Aimed eager their keen teeth To satiate raving hunger with his brain.

He in the eternal conflict oft would seize Their swelling necks, and in his giant grasp Bruise them, and rend their flesh with b.l.o.o.d.y nails, And howl for agony, Feeling the pangs he gave, for of himself Inseparable parts, his torturers grew.

To him approaching now Mohareb held the withered arm The Taper of enchanted power.

The unhallowed spell in hand unholy held Now ministered to mercy, heavily The wretche's eyelids closed, And welcome and unfelt Like the release of death A sudden sleep fell on his vital powers.

Yet tho' along the cave Lay Zohak's giant limbs, The twin-born serpents kept the narrow pa.s.s, Kindled their fiery eyes, Darted their tongues of terror, and rolled out Their undulating length, Like the long streamers of some gallant ship Buoyed on the wavy air, Still struggling to flow on and still withheld.

The scent of living flesh Inflamed their appet.i.te.

Prepared for all the perils of the cave Mohareb came. He from his wallet drew Two human heads yet warm.

O hard of heart! whom not the visible power Of retributive Justice, and the doom Of Zohak in his sight, Deterred from equal crime!

Two human heads, yet warm, he laid Before the scaly guardians of the pa.s.s.