Selected Poems (53 page)

More glittering eye, and black brow’s sabler gloom,

150

Glared on the Moslems’ eyes some Afrit sprite,

Whose demon death-blow left no hope for fight.

The wild confusion, and the swarthy glow

Of flames on high, and torches from below;

The shriek of terror, and the mingling yell –

155

For swords began to clash, and shouts to swell –

Flung o’er that spot of earth the air of hell!

Distracted, to and fro, the flying slaves

Behold but bloody shore and fiery waves;

Nought heeded they the Pacha’s angry cry,

160

They
seize that Dervise! – seize on Zatanai!
¹

He saw their terror – check’d the first despair

That urged him but to stand and perish there,

Since far too early and too well obey’d,

The flame was kindled ere the signal made;

165

He saw their terror – from his baldric drew

His bugle – brief the blast – but shrilly blew;

’Tis answer’d – ‘Well ye speed, my gallant crew!

Why did I doubt their quickness of career?

And deem design had left me single here?’

170

Sweeps his long arm – that sabre’s whirling sway

Sheds fast atonement for its first delay;

Completes his fury, what their fear begun,

And makes the many basely quail to one.

The cloven turbans o’er the chamber spread,

175

And scarce an arm dare rise to guard its head:

Even Seyd, convulsed, o’erwhelm’d, with rage, surprise,

Retreats before him, though he still defies.

No craven he – and yet he dreads the blow,

So much Confusion magnifies his foe!

180

His blazing galleys still distract his sight,

He tore his beard, and foaming fled the fight;
¹

For now the pirates pass’d the Haram gate,

And burst within – and it were death to wait;

Where wild Amazement shrieking – kneeling – throws

185

The sword aside – in vain – the blood o’erflows!

The Corsairs pouring, haste to where within,

Invited Conrad’s bugle, and the din

Of groaning victims, and wild cries for life,

Proclaim’d how well he did the work of strife.

190

A glutted tiger mangling in his lair!

They shout to find him grim and lonely there,

But short their greeting – shorter his reply –

‘ ’Tis well – but Seyd escapes – and he must die –

Much hath been done – but more remains to do –

195

Their galleys blaze – why not their city too?’

V

Quick at the word – they seized him each a torch,

And fire the dome from minaret to porch.

A stern delight was fix’d in Conrad’s eye,

But sudden sunk – for on his ear the cry

200

Of women struck and like a deadly knell

Knock’d at that heart unmoved by battle’s yell.

‘Oh! burst the Haram – wrong not on your lives

One female form – remember –
we
have wives.

On them such outrage Vengeance will repay;

205

Man is our foe, and such ’tis ours to slay:

But still we spared – must spare the weaker prey.

Oh! I forgot – but Heaven will not forgive

If at my word the helpless cease to live:

Follow who will – I go – we yet have time

210

Our souls to lighten of at least a crime.’

He climbs the crackling stair – he bursts the door,

Nor feels his feet glow scorching with the floor;

His breath choked gasping with the volumed smoke,

But still from room to room his way he broke.

215

They search – they find – they save: with lusty arms

Each bears a prize of unregarded charms;

Calm their loud fears; sustain their sinking frames

With all the care defenceless beauty claims:

So well could Conrad tame their fiercest mood

220

And check the very hands with gore imbrued.

But who is she? whom Conrad’s arms convey

From reeking pile and combat’s wreck – away –

Who but the love of him he dooms to bleed?

The Haram queen – but still the slave of Seyd!

VI

225

Brief time had Conrad now to greet Gulnare,
¹

Few words to re-assure the trembling fair;

For in that pause compassion snatch’d from war,

The foe before retiring, fast and far,

With wonder saw their footsteps unpursued,

230

First slowlier fled – then rallied – then withstood.

This Seyd perceives, then first perceives how few,

Compared with his, the Corsair’s roving crew,

And blushes o’er his error, as he eyes

The ruin wrought by panic and surprise.

235

Alla il Alla! Vengeance swells the cry -

Shame mounts to rage that must atone or die!

And flame for flame and blood for blood must tell,

The tide of triumph ebbs that flow’d too well –

When wrath returns to renovated strife,

240

And those who fought for conquest strike for life.

Conrad beheld the danger – he beheld

His followers faint by freshening foes repell’d:

‘One effort – one – to break the circling host!’

They form – unite – charge – waver – all is lost!

245

Within a narrower ring compress’d, beset,

Hopeless, not heartless, strive and struggle yet –

Ah! now they fight in firmest file no more,

Hemm’d in – cut off – cleft down – and trampled o’er;

But each strikes singly, silently, and home,

250

And sinks outwearied rather than o’ercome,

His last faint quittance rendering with his breath,

Till the blade glimmers in the grasp of death!

VII

But first, ere came the rallying host to blows,

And rank to rank, and hand to hand oppose,

255

Gulnare and all her Haram handmaids freed,

Safe in the dome of one who held their creed,

By Conrad’s mandate safely were bestow’d,

And dried those tears for life and fame that flow’d:

And when that dark-eyed lady, young Gulnare,

260

Recall’d those thoughts late wandering in despair,

Much did she marvel o’er the courtesy

That smooth’d his accents; soften’d in his eye:

‘Twas strange –
that
robber thus with gore bedew’d,

Seem’d gentler then than Seyd in fondest mood.

265

The Pacha woo’d as if he deem’d the slave

Must seem delighted with the heart he gave;

The Corsair vow’d protection, soothed affright,

As if his homage were a woman’s right.

‘The wish is wrong – nay, worse for female – vain:

270

Yet much I long to view that chief again;

If but to thank for, what my fear forgot,

The life – my loving lord remember’d not!’

VIII

And him she saw, where thickest carnage spread,

But gather’d breathing from the happier dead;

275

Far from his band, and battling with a host

That deem right dearly won the field he lost,

Fell’d – bleeding – baffled of the death he sought,

And snatch’d to expiate all the ills he wrought;

Preserved to linger and to live in vain,

280

While Vengeance ponder’d o’er new plans of pain,

And stanch’d the blood she saves to shed again –

But drop for drop, for Seyd’s unglutted eye

Would doom him ever dying – ne’er to die!

Can this be he? triumphant late she saw,

285

When his red hand’s wild gesture waved, a law!

‘Tis he indeed – disarm’d but undeprest,

His sole regret the life he still possest;

His wounds too slight, though taken with that will,

Which would have kiss’d the hand that then could kill.

290

Oh were there none, of all the many given,

To send his soul – he scarcely ask’d to heaven?

Must he alone of all retain his breath,

Who more than all had striven and struck for death?

He deeply felt – what mortal hearts must feel,

295

When thus reversed on faithless fortune’s wheel,

For crimes committed, and the victor’s threat

Of lingering tortures to repay the debt –

He deeply, darkly felt; but evil pride