Anon a troop of females formed the dance Their ancles bound with [129]bracelet-bells That made the modulating harmony.

Transparent[130] garments to the greedy eye Gave all their harlot limbs, That writhed, in each immodest gesture skilled.

With earnest eyes the banqueters Fed on the sight impure; And Thalaba, he gazed, But in his heart he bore a talisman Whose blessed Alchemy To virtuous thoughts refined The loose suggestions of the scene impure.

Oneiza's image swam before his sight, His own Arabian Maid.

He rose, and from the banquet room he rushed, And tears ran down his burning cheek, And nature for a moment woke the thought And murmured, that from all domestic joys Estranged, he wandered o'er the world A lonely being, far from all he loved.

Son of Hodeirah, not among thy crimes That murmur shall be written!

From tents of revelry, From festal bowers, to solitude he ran, And now he reached where all the rills Of that well-watered garden in one tide Rolled their collected waves.

A straight and stately bridge Stretched its long arches o'er the ample stream.

Strong in the evening and distinct its shade Lay on the watry mirror, and his eye Saw it united with its parent pile One huge fantastic fabric. Drawing near, Loud from the chambers[131] of the bridge below, Sounds of carousal came and song, And unveiled women bade the advancing youth Come merry-make with them.

Unhearing or unheeding, Thalaba Past o'er with hurried pace, And plunged amid the forest solitude.

Deserts of Araby!

His soul returned to you.

He cast himself upon the earth And closed his eyes, and called The voluntary vision up.

A cry as of distress Aroused him; loud it came, and near!

He started up, he strung his bow, He plucked the arrow forth.

Again a shriek ... a woman's shriek!

And lo! she rushes thro' the trees, Her veil all rent, her garments torn!

He follows close, the ravisher....

Even on the unechoing gra.s.s She hears his tread, so close!

"Prophet save me! save me G.o.d!

"Help! help!" she cried to Thalaba, Thalaba drew the bow.

The unerring arrow did its work of death.

He turned him to the woman, and beheld His own Oneiza, his Arabian Maid.

THE SEVENTH BOOK.

_THALABA THE DESTROYER._

_THE SEVENTH BOOK._

From fear, amazement, joy, At length the Arabian Maid recovering speech, Threw around Thalaba her arms and cried, "My father! O my father!" Thalaba In wonder lost, yet fearful to enquire, Bent down his cheek on hers, And their tears mingled as they fell.

ONEIZA.

At night they seized me, Thalaba! in my sleep,...

Thou wert not near,... and yet when in their grasp I woke, my shriek of terror called on thee.

My father could not save me,... an old man!

And they were strong and many,... O my G.o.d, The hearts they must have had to hear his prayers, And yet to leave him childless!

THALABA.

We will seek him.

We will return to Araby.

ONEIZA.

Alas!

We should not find him, Thalaba! our tent Is desolate, the wind hath heaped the sands Within its door, the lizard's[132] track is left Fresh on the untrodden dust; prowling by night The tyger, as he pa.s.ses hears no breath Of man, and turns to search its solitude.

Alas! he strays a wretched wanderer Seeking his child! old man, he will not rest,...

He cannot rest, his sleep is misery, His dreams are of my wretchedness, my wrongs....

O Thalaba! this is a wicked place!

Let us be gone!

THALABA.

But how to pa.s.s again The iron doors that opening at a breath Gave easy entrance? armies in their strength, Would fail to move those hinges for return!

ONEIZA.

But we can climb the mountains that shut in This dreadful garden.

THALABA.

Are Oneiza's limbs Equal to that long toil?

ONEIZA.

Oh I am strong Dear Thalaba! for this ... fear gives me force, And you are with me!

So she took his hand, And gently drew him forward, and they went Towards the mountain chain.

It was broad moonlight, and obscure or lost The garden beauties lay, But the great boundary rose, distinctly marked.

These were no little hills, No sloping uplands lifting to the sun Their vine-yards, with fresh verdure, and the shade Of ancient woods, courting the loiterer To win the easy ascent: stone mountains these Desolate rock on rock, The burthens of the earth, Whose snowy summits met the morning beam When night was in the vale, whose feet were fixed In the world's[133] foundations. Thalaba surveyed The heights precipitous, Impending crags, rocks unascendible, And summits that had tired the eagle's wing; "There is no way!" he cried.

Paler Oneiza grew And hung upon his arm a feebler weight.

But soon again to hope Revives the Arabian maid, As Thalaba imparts the sudden thought.

"I past a river," cried the youth "A full and copious stream.

"The flowing waters cannot be restrained "And where they find or force their way, "There we perchance may follow, thitherward "The current rolled along."

So saying yet again in hope Quickening their eager steps They turned them thitherward.

Silent and calm the river rolled along, And at the verge arrived Of that fair garden, o'er a rocky bed Towards the mountain base, Still full and silent, held its even way, But the deep sound, the dash Louder and louder in the distance rose, As if it forced its stream Struggling with crags along a narrow pa.s.s.

And lo! where raving o'er a hollow course The ever-flowing tide Foams in a thousand whirlpools! there adown The perforated rock Plunge the whole waters, so precipitous, So fathomless a fall That their earth-shaking roar came deadened up Like subterranean thunders.

"Allah save us!"

Oneiza cried, "there is no path for man "From this accursed place!"

And as she spake her joints Were loosened, and her knees sunk under her.

"Cheer up, Oneiza!" Thalaba replied, "Be of good heart. We cannot fly "The dangers of the place, "But we can conquer them!"

And the young Arab's soul Arose within him; "what is he," he cried, "Who has prepared this garden of delight, "And wherefore are its snares?"

The Arabian Maid replied, "The Women when I entered, welcomed me "To Paradise, by Aloadin's will "Chosen like themselves, a Houri of the Earth.

"They told me, credulous of his blasphemies, "That Aloadin placed them to reward "His faithful servants with the joys of Heaven.

"O Thalaba, and all are ready here "To wreak his wicked will, and work all crimes!