 | Love-Lore (1895) |  |
124
MAHMOUD'S FLIGHT
Only with water-gourd and dates for food,
Mahmoud is in the Desert, to evade
The enemy who may not be withstood,
Fleeing dismay'd.
Mahmoud is in the Desert, to evade
The enemy who may not be withstood,
Fleeing dismay'd.
Night after night the warning voice had cried,
“The Sultan's Vanquisher is on his way!”
The unknown danger not to be defied
Bred his dismay.
“The Sultan's Vanquisher is on his way!”
The unknown danger not to be defied
Bred his dismay.
His women and his palaces are left:
“All a man hath he for his skin will give.”
Nay! would he care although of skin bereft,
So he might live?
“All a man hath he for his skin will give.”
Nay! would he care although of skin bereft,
So he might live?
But whither flee? To some far distant land
Where none have heard of his world-reaching fame,
Where none his proclamations understand
Or know his name.
Where none have heard of his world-reaching fame,
Where none his proclamations understand
Or know his name.
Far, far in the Desert! Let the camel take
His way unguided, with the rein on neck,
With wide foot-prints,—the swift sand hides the wake;
The merest speck,
125
With wide foot-prints,—the swift sand hides the wake;
The merest speck,
Not man and camel, but a point scarce seen,
Lost soon as seen, is all the horizon shows.
Safe is he even as if he ne'er had been
Afraid of foes.
Lost soon as seen, is all the horizon shows.
Safe is he even as if he ne'er had been
Afraid of foes.
And now the rein may tighten: past the might
Of ill however closely it pursue.
There is no track upon the star-lit night,
No fear in view.
Of ill however closely it pursue.
There is no track upon the star-lit night,
No fear in view.
Rest for the night! But in the night his fear
Wakens and bids him farther from the foe.
What if through accident he draweth near?
How can one know?
Wakens and bids him farther from the foe.
What if through accident he draweth near?
How can one know?
So on, yet on, rest not for night or day,
While the last strain of sinew bears him through.
On, on, pursue the solitary way,
Though none pursue!
While the last strain of sinew bears him through.
On, on, pursue the solitary way,
Though none pursue!
So hastening tow'rd the safely distant land
Beyond o'ertaking, he one evening meets
A poor lorn wretch who crouching in the sand
Him humbly greets.
Beyond o'ertaking, he one evening meets
A poor lorn wretch who crouching in the sand
Him humbly greets.
126
A poor weak failing wretch, so weak, so poor,
'Twere worse than shame to pass such wretched one,—
Though the gourd empty is and all the store
Of dates is gone.
'Twere worse than shame to pass such wretched one,—
Though the gourd empty is and all the store
Of dates is gone.
Mahmoud alighteth. “I have nought for thee.”
He looketh up and answereth—“It is said.
What hast thou for thyself? Why come to me?”
Then bows his head.
He looketh up and answereth—“It is said.
What hast thou for thyself? Why come to me?”
Then bows his head.
Bow'd down, he wraps him in his mantle-folds,
Maketh no sign, nor other word he saith.
Mahmoud sinks down beside him—and beholds
The face of Death.
Maketh no sign, nor other word he saith.
Mahmoud sinks down beside him—and beholds
The face of Death.
Far, far into the Desert he had fled
To avoid the Unavoidable: and there
They sit in the sand together—dead with dead,
Death and Despair.
To avoid the Unavoidable: and there
They sit in the sand together—dead with dead,
Death and Despair.
| Love-Lore (1895) | |