 | Ouâbi : or the virtues of nature |  |
Just as the sun awak'd the dewy morn,
And rose resplendent from his wat'ry bed,
When vari'd tints the heav'nly arch adorn,
And o'er the meads enamell'd radiance spread,
And rose resplendent from his wat'ry bed,
When vari'd tints the heav'nly arch adorn,
And o'er the meads enamell'd radiance spread,
At the far limits of the spangled lawn
A ghastly figure issued from the wood,
Writhing with anguish, like the wounded fawn,
Cover'd with darts, and stain'd with clotted blood.
A ghastly figure issued from the wood,
Writhing with anguish, like the wounded fawn,
Cover'd with darts, and stain'd with clotted blood.
Azâkia's bosom swells with boding woes,
Yet to his aid the sweet consoler flies,
On his parch'd lips the cooling draught bestows,
Binds his deep wounds, and sooths his labour'd sighs.
Yet to his aid the sweet consoler flies,
On his parch'd lips the cooling draught bestows,
Binds his deep wounds, and sooths his labour'd sighs.
When his faint voice, and wasted strength returns,
Oft he attempts, oft quits the fearful tale,
'Till the sad list'ner all her sorrow learns,
Whelm'd in dumb grief, with chilling terrors pale.
Oft he attempts, oft quits the fearful tale,
'Till the sad list'ner all her sorrow learns,
Whelm'd in dumb grief, with chilling terrors pale.
Too soon, alas! his broken accents show,
How the great chief approach'd the fatal plain,
Tho' nations fell beneath his nervous blow,
O'erpow'r'd by numbers sunk amidst the slain.
How the great chief approach'd the fatal plain,
Tho' nations fell beneath his nervous blow,
O'erpow'r'd by numbers sunk amidst the slain.
32
One equal fate the victor-foes impart,
For the pure town in vain the vanquish'd bend,
The vengeful tomahawk, and hurtling dart,
Down to the shades the hapless heroes send.
For the pure town in vain the vanquish'd bend,
The vengeful tomahawk, and hurtling dart,
Down to the shades the hapless heroes send.
While this alone, of all the routed train,
From purple heaps, where dying sachems lay,
To seek the lov'd Azâkia's peaceful plain,
Had turn'd his sad, dark, solitary way.
From purple heaps, where dying sachems lay,
To seek the lov'd Azâkia's peaceful plain,
Had turn'd his sad, dark, solitary way.
On the far field while great Ouâbi lies,
Breathless and low amid the glorious dead,
No friendly hand to close the warrior's eyes,
And shield the plumy honours of his head,
Breathless and low amid the glorious dead,
No friendly hand to close the warrior's eyes,
And shield the plumy honours of his head,
Ungovern'd rage the young Celario fires,
He scorns his wounds, forgets the nymph he loves;
Revenge is all his swelling breast desires,
Revenge alone his furious soul approves.
He scorns his wounds, forgets the nymph he loves;
Revenge is all his swelling breast desires,
Revenge alone his furious soul approves.
In Zisma's arms, of wasting grief the prey,
The widow'd mourner courts the murd'rous dream,
Shuns the red splendor of the rising day,
The moon's pale radiance, and the shaded stream.
The widow'd mourner courts the murd'rous dream,
Shuns the red splendor of the rising day,
The moon's pale radiance, and the shaded stream.
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Not deeper anguish rends the promis'd bride,
If death relentless lifts his ebon dart,
And tears her youthful lover from her side,
Just when hope warm'd, and pleasure fir'd the heart.
If death relentless lifts his ebon dart,
And tears her youthful lover from her side,
Just when hope warm'd, and pleasure fir'd the heart.
Now brave Celario seeks his scatter'd friends,
Who raise new pow'rs, and neighb'ring tribes obtain,
Along the darken'd green the host extends,
Breathing revenge, and undismay'd by pain.
Who raise new pow'rs, and neighb'ring tribes obtain,
Along the darken'd green the host extends,
Breathing revenge, and undismay'd by pain.
For the young champion all their voices rise,
He can alone their glorious chief succeed,
Who erst, beneath that matchless sachem's eyes,
Could greatly conquer, and could nobly bleed.
He can alone their glorious chief succeed,
Who erst, beneath that matchless sachem's eyes,
Could greatly conquer, and could nobly bleed.
Ere he departs Azâkia claims his care,
The youthful Zisma at her side he found,
While plung'd in grief, the victim of despair,
The lovely suff'rer press'd the turfy ground.
The youthful Zisma at her side he found,
While plung'd in grief, the victim of despair,
The lovely suff'rer press'd the turfy ground.
In her cold hand the fatal draught was borne,
Of deadly Cytron's pois'nous root compos'd,
While many a tear, and many a lengthen'd groan,
The purpose of her steady soul disclos'd.
Of deadly Cytron's pois'nous root compos'd,
While many a tear, and many a lengthen'd groan,
The purpose of her steady soul disclos'd.
The pure or white towns are places of refuge, in which no blood is ever permitted to be spilt; even criminals are there protected.
The tomahawk is a small hatchet, with a long handle, which is thrown at the enemy with success at a great distance; it is particularly fatal in a pursuit.
It is said to have been anciently a custom among the Indians, if in the space of forty days, a woman, who had lost her husband, saw and conversed with him twice in a dream, to infer from thence, that he required her presence in the land of spirits; and nothing could dispense with her putting herself to death.
| Ouâbi : or the virtues of nature | |