Indian Poetry Part 9

And one is come who sayeth, "Ho! Rajpoots! Soorj is bound; Your lord is caged and baited by Shureef Khan, the hound.

"The Khan hath caught and chained him, like a beast, in iron cage, And all the camp of Islam spends on him spite and rage;

"All day the coward Muslims spend on him rage and spite; If ye have thought to help him, 'twere good ye go to-night."

Up sprang a hundred hors.e.m.e.n, flashed in each hand a sword; In each heart burned the gladness of dying for their lord;

Up rose each Rajpoot rider, and buckled on with speed The bridle-chain and breast-cord, and the saddle of his steed.

But unto none sad Neila gave word to mount and ride; Only she called the brothers of Soorj unto her side,

And said, "Take order straightway to seek this camp with me; If love and craft can conquer, a thousand is as three.

"If love be weak to save him, Soorj dies--and ye return, For where a Rajpoot dieth, the Rajpoot widows burn."

Thereat the Ranee Neila unbraided from her hair The pearls as great as Kashmir grapes Soorj gave his wife to wear,

And all across her bosoms--like lotus-buds to see-- She wrapped the tinselled sari of a dancing Kunchenee;

And fastened on her ankles the hundred silver bells, To whose light laugh of music the Nautch-girl darts and dwells.

And all in dress a Nautch-girl, but all in heart a queen, She set her foot to stirrup with a sad and settled mien.

Only one thing she carried no Kunchenee should bear, The knife between her bosoms;--ho, Shureef! have a care!

Thereat, with running ditty of mingled pride and pity, Jymul Rao makes the six wires sigh; And the girls with tearful eyes note the music's fall and rise, And the boys let the fire fade and die.

All day lay Soorj the Rajpoot in Shureef's iron cage, All day the coward Muslims spent on him spite and rage.

With bitter cruel torments, and deeds of shameful kind, They racked and broke his body, but could not shake his mind.

And only at the Azan, when all their worst was vain, They left him, like dogs slinking from a lion in his pain.

No meat nor drink they gave him through all that burning day, And done to death, but scornful, at twilight-time he lay.

So when the gem of s.h.i.+va uprose, the s.h.i.+ning moon, Soorj spake unto his spirit, "The end is coming soon."

"I would the end might hasten, could Neila only know-- What is that Nautch-girl singing with voice so known and low?

"Singing beneath the cage-bars the song of love and fear My Neila sang at parting!--what doth that Nautch-girl here?

"Whence comes she by the music of Neila's tender strain, She, in that shameless tinsel?--O Nautch-girl, sing again!"

"Ah, Soorj!"--so followed answer--"here thine own Neila stands, Faithful in life and death alike,--look up, and take my hands:

"Speak low, lest the guard hear us;--to-night, if thou must die, Shureef shall have no triumph, but bear thee company."

So sang she like the Koil that dies beside its mate; With eye as black and fearless, and love as hot and great.

Then the Chief laid his pale lips upon the little palm, And sank down with a smile of love, his face all glad and calm;

And through the cage-bars Neila felt the brave heart stop fast, "O Soorj!"--she cried--"I follow! have patience to the last."

She turned and went. "Who pa.s.ses?" challenged the Mussulman; "A Nautch-girl, I."--"What seek'st thou?"--"The presence of the Khan;"

"Ask if the high chief-captain be pleased to hear me sing;"

And Shureef, full of feasting, the Kunchenee bade bring.

Then, all before the Muslims, aflame with lawless wine, Entered the Ranee Neila, in grace and face divine;

And all before the Muslims, wagging their goatish chins, The Rajpoot Princess set her to the "bee-dance" that begins,

"_If my love loved me, he should be a bee, I the yellow champak, love the honey of me._"

All the wreathed movements danced she of that dance; Not a step she slighted, not a wanton glance;

In her unveiled bosom chased th' intruding bee, To her waist--and lower--she! a Rajpoot, she!

Sang the melting music, swayed the languorous limb: Shureef's drunken heart beat--Shureef's eyes waxed dim.

From his finger Shureef loosed an Ormuz pearl-- "By the Prophet," quoth he, "'tis a winsome girl!"

"Take this ring; and 'prithee, come and have thy pay, I would hear at leisure more of such a lay."

Glared his eyes on her eyes, pa.s.sing o'er the plain, Glared at the tent-purdah--never glared again!

Never opened after unto gaze or glance, Eyes that saw a Rajpoot dance a shameful dance;

For the kiss she gave him was his first and last-- Kiss of dagger, driven to his heart, and past.

At her feet he wallowed, choked with wicked blood; In his breast the katar quivered where it stood.

At the hilt his fingers vainly--wildly--try, Then they stiffen feeble;--die! thou slayer, die!

From his jewelled scabbard drew she Shureef's sword, Cut a-twain the neck-bone of the Muslim lord.

Underneath the starlight,--sooth, a sight of dread!

Like the G.o.ddess Kali, comes she with the head,

Comes to where her brothers guard their murdered chief; All the camp is silent, but the night is brief.

At his feet she flings it, flings her burden vile; "Soorj! I keep my promise! Brothers, build the pile!"

They have built it, set it, all as Rajpoots do From the cage of iron taken Soorj Dehu;