Thalaba the Destroyer Part 26

For it moves with the motion of life!

Lo! she returns and scatters from her pinions Odours diviner than the gales of morning Waft from Sabea.

Hovering before the youth she hung, Till from her rosy feet that at his touch Uncurled their grasp, he took The fruitful bough they bore.

He took and tasted, a new life Flowed thro' his renovated frame; His limbs that late were sore and stiff Felt all the freshness of repose, His dizzy brain was calmed.

The heavy aching of his lids At once was taken off, For Laila from the Bowers of Paradise Had borne the healing[174] fruit.

So up the mountain steep With untired foot he past, The Green Bird guiding him Mid crags, and ice, and rocks, A difficult way, winding the long ascent.

How then the heart of Thalaba rejoiced When bosomed in the mountain depths, A sheltered Valley opened on his view!

It was the Simorg's vale, The dwelling of the ancient Bird.

On a green and mossy bank.

Beside a rivulet The Bird of Ages stood.

No sound intruded on his solitude, Only the rivulet was heard Whose everlasting flow From the birth-day of the world had made The same unvaried murmuring.

Here dwelt the all-knowing Bird In deep tranquillity, His eyelids ever closed In full enjoyment of profound repose.

Reverently the youth approached That old and only[175] Bird, And crossed his arms upon his breast, And bowed his head and spake.

"Earliest of existing things, "Earliest thou, and wisest thou, "Guide me, guide me, on my way!

"I am bound to seek the caverns "Underneath the roots of Ocean "Where the Sorcerer brood are nurst.

"Thou the eldest, thou the wisest, "Guide me, guide me, on my way!"

The ancient Simorg on the youth Unclosed his thoughtful eyes, And answered to his prayer.

"Northward by the stream proceed, "In the fountain of the rock "Wash away thy worldly stains, "Kneel thou there, and seek the Lord "And fortify thy soul with prayer.

"Thus prepared ascend the Sledge, "Be bold, be wary, seek and find!

"G.o.d hath appointed all."

The ancient Simorg then let fall his lids Returning to repose.

Northward along the rivulet The adventurer went his way, Tracing its waters upward to their source.

Green Bird of Paradise Thou hast not left the youth;...

With slow a.s.sociate flight She companies his way, And now they reach the fountain of the rock.

There in the cold clear well Thalaba washed away his earthly stains, And bowed his face before the Lord, And fortified his soul with prayer.

The while upon the rock Stood the celestial Bird, And pondering all the perils he must pa.s.s, With a mild melancholy eye Beheld the youth beloved.

And lo! beneath yon lonely pine, the sledge....

And there they stand the harnessed Dogs, Their wide eyes watching for the youth, Their ears erected turned towards his way.

They were lean as lean might be, Their furrowed ribs rose prominent, And they were black from head to foot, Save a white line on every breast Curved like the crescent moon.

And he is seated in the sledge, His arms are folded on his breast, The bird is on his knees; There is fear in the eyes of the Dogs, There is fear in their pitiful moan, And now they turn their heads, And seeing him there, Away!

The Youth with the start of their speed Falls back to the bar of the sledge, His hair floats straight in the stream of the wind Like the weeds in the running brook.

They wind with speed the upward way, An icey path thro' rocks of ice, His eye is at the summit now, And thus far all is dangerless, And now upon the height The black Dogs pause and pant, They turn their eyes to Thalaba As if to plead for pity, They moan and moan with fear.

Once more away! and now The long descent is seen, A long, long, narrow path.

Ice-rocks aright and hills of snow, Aleft the giddy precipice.

Be firm, be firm, O Thalaba!

One motion now, one bend, And on the crags below Thy shattered flesh will harden in the frost.

Why howl the Dogs so mournfully?

And wherefore does the blood flow fast All purple o'er their sable hair?

His arms are folded on his breast, Nor scourge nor goad has he, No hand appears to strike, No sounding lash is heard: But piteously they moan and moan And track their way with blood.

And lo! on yonder height A giant Fiend aloft Waits to thrust down the tottering Avalanche!

If Thalaba looks back he dies, The motion of fear is death.

On ... on ... with swift and steady pace Adown that dreadful way!

The youth is firm, the Dogs are fleet, The Sledge goes rapidly, The thunder of the avalanche Re-echoes far behind.

On ... on ... with swift and steady pace Adown that dreadful way!

The Dogs are fleet, the way is steep The Sledge goes rapidly, They reach the plain below.

A wide, wide plain, all desolate, Nor tree, nor bush, nor herb!

On go the Dogs with rapid step, The Sledge slides after rapidly, And now the Sun went down.

They stopt and looked at Thalaba, The Youth performed his prayer; They knelt beside him as he prayed They turned their heads to Mecca And tears ran down their cheeks.

Then down they laid them in the snow As close as they could lie, They laid them down and slept.

And backward in the sledge The Adventurer laid him down, There peacefully slept Thalaba, And the Green Bird of Paradise Lay in his bosom warm.

The Dogs awoke him at the dawn, They knelt and wept again; Then rapidly they journeyed on, And still the plain was desolate, Nor tree, nor bush, nor herb!

And ever at the hour of prayer They stopt, and knelt, and wept; And still that green and graceful Bird Was as a friend to him by day, And ever when at night he slept Lay in his bosom warm.

In that most utter solitude It cheered his heart to hear Her soft and soothing voice; Her voice was soft and sweet, It swelled not with the blackbird's thrill, Nor warbled rich like the dear bird, that holds The solitary man A loiterer in his thoughtful walk at eve; But if no overflowing joy Spake in its tones of tenderness They soothed the softened soul.

Her bill was not the beak of blood; There was a human meaning in her eye, Its mild affection fixed on Thalaba Woke wonder while he gazed And made her dearer for the mystery.

Oh joy! the signs of life appear, The first and single Fir That on the limits of the living world Strikes in the ice its roots.

Another, and another now; And now the Larch that flings its arms Down arching like the falling wave; And now the Aspin's scattered leaves Grey glitter on the moveless twig; The Poplar's varying verdure now, And now the Birch so beautiful, Light as a Lady's plumes.

Oh joy! the signs of life! the Deer Hath left his slot beside the way; The little Ermine now is seen White wanderer of the snow; And now from yonder pines they hear The clatter of the Grouse's wings: And now the snowy Owl pursues The Traveller's sledge in hope of food; And hark! the rosy-breasted bird The Throstle of sweet song!

Joy! joy! the winter-wilds are left!

Green bushes now and greener gra.s.s, Red thickets here all berry-bright, And here the lovely flowers!

When the last morning of their way arrived, After the early prayer, The Green Bird fixed on Thalaba A sad and supplicating eye, And with a human voice she spake, "Servant of G.o.d, I leave thee now.

"If rightly I have guided thee, "Give me the boon I beg!"

"O gentle Bird," quoth Thalaba, "Guide and companion of my dangerous way, "Friend and sole solace of my solitude, "How can I pay thee benefits like these!

"Ask what thou wilt that I can give, "O gentle Bird, the poor return "Will leave me debtor still!"

"Son of Hodeirah!" she replied, "When thou shalt see an Old Man crushed beneath "The burthen of his earthly punishment, "Forgive him, Thalaba!

"Yea, send a prayer to G.o.d on his behalf!"

A flush o'erspread the young Destroyer's cheek, He turned his eye towards the Bird As if in half repentance; for he thought Of Okba; and his Father's dying groan Came on his memory. The celestial Bird Saw and renewed her speech.

"O Thalaba, if she who in thine arms "Received the dagger-blow and died for thee, "Deserve one kind remembrance ... save, O save "The Father that she loved from endless death!"

"Laila! and is it thou?" the youth replied: "What is there that I durst refuse to thee?

"This is no time to harbour in my heart "One evil thought ... here I put off revenge, "The last rebellious feeling ... be it so!

"G.o.d grant to me the pardon that I need "As I do pardon him!

"But who am I that I should save "The sinful soul alive?"

"Enough!" said Laila. "When the hour shall come "Remember me! my task is done.

"We meet again in Paradise!"

She said and shook her wings, and up she soared With arrow-swiftness thro' the heights of Heaven.

His aching eye pursued her path, When starting onward went the Dogs, More rapidly they hurried on In hope of near repose.

It was the early morning yet When by the well-head of a brook They stopt, their journey done.

The spring was clear, the water deep, A venturous man were he and rash That should have probed its depths, For all its loosened bed below Heaved strangely up and down, And to and fro, from side to side It heaved, and waved, and tossed, And yet the depths were clear, And yet no ripple wrinkled o'er The face of that fair Well.

And on that Well so strange and fair A little boat there lay, Without on oar, without a sail, One only seat it had, one seat As if for only Thalaba.