Thalaba!

THALABA.

In G.o.d's name, and the Prophet's! be its power Good, let it serve the righteous: if for evil, G.o.d and my trust in him shall hallow it.

So Thalaba drew on The written ring of gold.

Then in the hollow grave They laid Abdaldar's corpse, And levelled over him the desert dust.

The Sun arose, ascending from beneath The horizon's circling line.

As Thalaba to his ablutions went, Lo! the grave open, and the corpse exposed!

It was not that the winds of night Had swept away the sands that covered it, For heavy with the undried dew The desert dust was dark and close around; And the night air had been so moveless calm, It had not from the grove Shaken a ripe date down.

Amazed to hear the tale Forth from the tent came Moath and his child.

Awhile the thoughtful man surveyed the corpse Silent with downward eyes, Then turning spake to Thalaba and said, "I have heard that there are places by the abode "Of holy men, so holily possessed, "That if a corpse be buried there, the ground "With a convulsive effort shakes it out,[39]

"Impatient of pollution. Have the feet "Of Prophet or Apostle blest this place?

"Ishmael, or Houd, or Saleh, or than all, "Mohammed, holier name? or is the man "So foul with magic and all blasphemy, "That Earth[40] like Heaven rejects him? it is best "Forsake the station. Let us strike our tent.

"The place is tainted ... and behold "The Vulture[41] hovers yonder, and his scream "Chides us that we still we scare him from his banquet.

"So let the accursed one "Find fitting sepulchre."

Then from the pollution of death With water they made themselves pure, And Thalaba drew up The fastening of the cords, And Moath furled the tent, And from the grove of palms Oneiza led The Camels, ready to receive their load.

The dews had ceased to steam Towards the climbing Sun, When from the Isle of Palms they went their way.

And when the Sun had reached his southern height, As back they turned their eyes, The distant Palms arose Like to the top-sails of some far-off fleet Distinctly seen, where else The Ocean bounds had blended with the sky.

And when the eve came on The sight returning reached the grove no more.

They planted the pole of their tent, And they laid them down to repose.

At midnight Thalaba started up, For he felt that the ring on his finger was moved.

He called on Allah aloud, And he called on the Prophet's name.

Moath arose in alarm, "What ails thee Thalaba?" he cried, "Is the Robber of night at hand?"

"Dost thou not see," the youth exclaimed, "A Spirit in the Tent?"

Moath looked round and said, "The moon beam shines in the Tent, "I see thee stand in the light, "And thy shadow is black on the ground."

Thalaba answered not.

"Spirit!" he cried, "what brings thee here?

"In the name of the Prophet, speak, "In the name of Allah, obey!"

He ceased, and there was silence in the Tent.

"Dost thou not hear?" quoth Thalaba.

The listening man replied, "I hear the wind, that flaps "The curtain of the Tent.

"The Ring! the Ring!" the youth exclaimed.

"For that the Spirit of Evil comes, "By that I see, by that I hear.

"In the name of G.o.d, I ask thee "Who was he that slew my Father?"

DEMON.

Master of the powerful Ring!

Okba, the wise Magician, did the deed.

THALABA.

Where does the Murderer dwell?

DEMON.

In the Domdaniel caverns Under the Roots of the Ocean.

THALABA.

Why were my Father and my brethren slain?

DEMON.

We knew from the race of Hodeirah The destined destroyer would come.

THALABA.

Bring me my father's sword.

DEMON.

A fire surrounds the fated-sword, No Spirit or Magician's hand Can pierce that guardian flame.

THALABA.

Bring me his bow and his arrows.

Distinctly Moath heard his voice, and She Who thro' the Veil of Separation, watched All sounds in listening terror, whose suspense Forbade the aid of prayer.

They heard the voice of Thalaba; But when the Spirit spake, the motionless air Felt not the subtle sounds, Too fine for mortal sense.

On a sudden the rattle of arrows was heard, And the quiver was laid at the feet of the youth, And in his hand they saw Hodeirah's Bow.

He eyed the Bow, he tw.a.n.ged the string, And his heart bounded to the joyous tone.

Anon he raised his voice, and cried "Go thy way, and never more, "Evil Spirit, haunt our tent!

"By the virtue of the Ring, "By Mohammed's holier might, "By the holiest name of G.o.d, "Thee and all the Powers of h.e.l.l "I adjure and I command "Never more to trouble us!"

Nor ever from that hour Did rebel Spirit on the Tent intrude, Such virtue had the Spell.

And peacefully the vernal years Of Thalaba past on.

Till now without an effort he could bend Hodeirah's stubborn Bow.

Black were his eyes and bright, The sunny hue of health Glowed on his tawny cheek, His lip was darkened by maturing life; Strong were his shapely limbs, his stature tall; He was a comely youth.

Compa.s.sion for the child Had first old Moath's kindly heart possessed, An orphan, wailing in the wilderness.

But when he heard his tale, his wonderous tale, Told by the Boy with such eye-speaking truth, Now with sudden bursts of anger, Now in the agony of tears, And now in flashes of prophetic joy.

What had been pity became reverence, And like a sacred trust from Heaven The old man cherished him.

Now with a father's love, Child of his choice, he loved the Boy, And like a father to the Boy was dear.

Oneiza called him brother, and the youth, More fondly than a brother, loved the maid, The loveliest of Arabian maidens she.

How happily the years Of Thalaba went by!