Persian love elegies To which is added The nymph of Tauris [by John Wolcot] |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
ELEGY XIII.
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 | Persian love elegies |  |
34
ELEGY XIII.
[“To thee, who rul'st o'er Persia's wide domain]
MIRVA'S SUPPLICATION TO THE SULTAN.
“To thee, who rul'st o'er Persia's wide domain,
The wretch of Zulpha pours the suppliant sigh:
Shall Love the bleeding bosom bare in vain,
And Pity vainly raise th'imploring eye?
The wretch of Zulpha pours the suppliant sigh:
Shall Love the bleeding bosom bare in vain,
And Pity vainly raise th'imploring eye?
Lo! Virtue weeps! her sacred drops revere,
Nor thus her cheek with burning blushes stain;
The Monarch's heart, that melts at Virtue's tear,
More than a thousand triumphs gilds his reign.
Nor thus her cheek with burning blushes stain;
The Monarch's heart, that melts at Virtue's tear,
More than a thousand triumphs gilds his reign.
Enough of woe, have War's wild horrors spread:
Ev'n now the vallies shriek, the hamlets burn:
See Havock pour the blaze from shade to shade!
See the wan shepherd o'er the ruin mourn!
Ev'n now the vallies shriek, the hamlets burn:
See Havock pour the blaze from shade to shade!
See the wan shepherd o'er the ruin mourn!
Say, cannot this the soft emotion wake;
Force from thy eye the sympathizing stream;
But shall thy cruelty the wretch o'ertake,
'Scap'd from the ruffian's sword and wasting flame?
Force from thy eye the sympathizing stream;
But shall thy cruelty the wretch o'ertake,
'Scap'd from the ruffian's sword and wasting flame?
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Those weeping orbs eternal darkness shade,
If one fond glance thy savage hope inspires;
Love's keenest vengeance smite the guilty maid,
False to her fame and faithless to his fires.
If one fond glance thy savage hope inspires;
Love's keenest vengeance smite the guilty maid,
False to her fame and faithless to his fires.
Ye vales of Zulpha, live in mem'ry's eye,
Whose song so often stole my ravish'd ear:
Let Selim's name embalm my constant sigh,
His image brighten ev'ry falling tear.
Whose song so often stole my ravish'd ear:
Let Selim's name embalm my constant sigh,
His image brighten ev'ry falling tear.
Can Zulpha's vallies from remembrance fade,
Mir's ecchoing rill, and Dinur's conscious grove;
Where Truth and Selim won a willing maid,
Where flow'd the shepherd's sigh of purest love.
Mir's ecchoing rill, and Dinur's conscious grove;
Where Truth and Selim won a willing maid,
Where flow'd the shepherd's sigh of purest love.
Ye fair sultanas, that around me throng,
Ah! cease to sooth a captive's hapless hours:
Harsh to my ear is Pleasure's careless song,
And dim the radiance scepter'd Grandeur show'rs.
Ah! cease to sooth a captive's hapless hours:
Harsh to my ear is Pleasure's careless song,
And dim the radiance scepter'd Grandeur show'rs.
Say, what avails the purple's costly glare,
The ruby's blush, the di'mond's light'ning beam,
Attendant slaves, or music's wanton air,
Or floods of fragrance that around me stream?
The ruby's blush, the di'mond's light'ning beam,
Attendant slaves, or music's wanton air,
Or floods of fragrance that around me stream?
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Can Pomp, of hopeless Love, the sorrows shroud,
Smooth with gay smiles the wrinkled front of Care,
Chace from wan Melancholy's eye the cloud,
And lull the deep-ton'd murmurs of Despair?
Smooth with gay smiles the wrinkled front of Care,
Chace from wan Melancholy's eye the cloud,
And lull the deep-ton'd murmurs of Despair?
Away those tow'rs that thus their heads advance,
Where servile Flatt'ry crawls a welcome guest,
Where Prostitution darts the wanton glance,
And Envy's demons gnaw the throbbing breast:
Where servile Flatt'ry crawls a welcome guest,
Where Prostitution darts the wanton glance,
And Envy's demons gnaw the throbbing breast:
Fairer to me is Suzan's dangerous shade,
Where growling fate, the restless savage roams;
Where Horror breathes around a death-like dread,
And crowding spectres haunt the twilight glooms.
Where growling fate, the restless savage roams;
Where Horror breathes around a death-like dread,
And crowding spectres haunt the twilight glooms.
Fairer to me the dungeon's dreary round,
Deep sounding to the captive's hollow sigh:
Where the sad pond'ring wretch in thought profound,
Nails to the murky floor his haggard eye.
Deep sounding to the captive's hollow sigh:
Where the sad pond'ring wretch in thought profound,
Nails to the murky floor his haggard eye.
Ye Persian nymphs, with artless manners blest,
And blest with blooms by Beauty's pencil spread;
Retire, sweet strangers to the throbbing breast,
And court, of Solitude her deepest shade.
And blest with blooms by Beauty's pencil spread;
Retire, sweet strangers to the throbbing breast,
And court, of Solitude her deepest shade.
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Wing, where gay freedom bounds from grove to grove,
Where Love in safety points the tender gaze:
Where feeds, young Innocence, her cooing dove,
And meek Contentment pours the song of praise.
Where Love in safety points the tender gaze:
Where feeds, young Innocence, her cooing dove,
And meek Contentment pours the song of praise.
Parents of lovely maids, be deaf the ear,
Whilst Pride the flatt'ring pompous tale imparts,
Far from those bow'rs each blushing damsel bear,
Nor give to Mis'ry's gripe their gentle hearts.
Whilst Pride the flatt'ring pompous tale imparts,
Far from those bow'rs each blushing damsel bear,
Nor give to Mis'ry's gripe their gentle hearts.
The tyger growling thro' th'affrighted wood,
Springs to defend th'endanger'd young from harm,
The fierce, the wild-ey'd Vulture, bath'd in blood,
Feels for her youngling's cry the fond alarm.”
Springs to defend th'endanger'd young from harm,
The fierce, the wild-ey'd Vulture, bath'd in blood,
Feels for her youngling's cry the fond alarm.”
Thus sung the nymph, the soft sultanas sigh'd:
Desire with Virtue in the monarch strove:
Be blest, be Selim thine, (at length) he cry'd,
Then gave the Maid to liberty and love.
Desire with Virtue in the monarch strove:
Be blest, be Selim thine, (at length) he cry'd,
Then gave the Maid to liberty and love.
| Persian love elegies | |