 | The Voyage of Ithobal |  |
FOREWORD
(IN THE MUSEUM)
Half in earnest, and half in play,
We talked, by the mummied Dead, that day,
Noting the bones of the catalogued Pharaohs,
Princes and Scribes of a world far away;
We talked, by the mummied Dead, that day,
Noting the bones of the catalogued Pharaohs,
Princes and Scribes of a world far away;
Priests, with their lean brown bodies a-row,
In Egypt embalmed many ages ago;
Waiting their souls,—which did never reclaim them,
What kept ye belated, Souls? Make us know!
In Egypt embalmed many ages ago;
Waiting their souls,—which did never reclaim them,
What kept ye belated, Souls? Make us know!
But, under the glass, at the gallery's end,
Two gilded coffers our converse suspend,
A dark, sweet, high-bred visage of Egypt
Limned on the cedar: Inside, at bend
Two gilded coffers our converse suspend,
A dark, sweet, high-bred visage of Egypt
Limned on the cedar: Inside, at bend
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Of elbow—armlets with scarabs and gold,
Gold rings on the delicate fingers, and fold
Of linen on linen, stained blue and purple,
Binding dried bosom. A comb did hold—
Gold rings on the delicate fingers, and fold
Of linen on linen, stained blue and purple,
Binding dried bosom. A comb did hold—
A comb of coral—the rusted tress
Laid, in a braid of lost loveliness,
On shapely brow and mouldered temple
Of the stately, holy, and proud Princess;
Laid, in a braid of lost loveliness,
On shapely brow and mouldered temple
Of the stately, holy, and proud Princess;
For the name of that Lady was plain to view
Nesta, the Priestess of Amen-Ru
And Gods and Kâs had been set to guard her
Asleep, while the slow-footed years crept through.
Nesta, the Priestess of Amen-Ru
And Gods and Kâs had been set to guard her
Asleep, while the slow-footed years crept through.
Bright were those eyes once—starry bright,
Whose beauty gone was mocked by the light
Of agate and nacre—embalmer's symbols
For lustre departed. Oh! of her right
Whose beauty gone was mocked by the light
Of agate and nacre—embalmer's symbols
For lustre departed. Oh! of her right
Royal or high-blooded: a cartouche set
Gives sign of the household of Hapshepket,
And, over the heart-spot, you see a tablet
From the “Book of the Dead” inscribed “Now let
Gives sign of the household of Hapshepket,
And, over the heart-spot, you see a tablet
From the “Book of the Dead” inscribed “Now let
“No hindrance come at my Judgment-Hour,
Nor Mût be stern, nor the Measurer's power;
In the balance of Thoth, when my heart is lying,
May Anubis have me in grace!” A Flower
Nor Mût be stern, nor the Measurer's power;
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May Anubis have me in grace!” A Flower
Of Nile's best gardens, no doubt! Beneath
The second chest showed us a painted wreath
Of ships and sailors, and strange sea-monsters,
And rocks that rise, and waves that seethe
The second chest showed us a painted wreath
Of ships and sailors, and strange sea-monsters,
And rocks that rise, and waves that seethe
Round some high soul to Amenti fled:
And the hieroglyphs for the style of the Dead
Ran Ethbaal, the son of Magon, blended
'Mid boats and rowers, and Gods, with head
And the hieroglyphs for the style of the Dead
Ran Ethbaal, the son of Magon, blended
'Mid boats and rowers, and Gods, with head
Of ibis, or lion, or jackal, or ape:
Yet ever, and foremost, recurred the shape
Of Kneph with the ram's horns, Kneph the Master
Of Storms, and of Seas, and the Southward Cape
Yet ever, and foremost, recurred the shape
Of Kneph with the ram's horns, Kneph the Master
Of Storms, and of Seas, and the Southward Cape
Where all Seas finish. “Certes,” I said;
“Some Man of Phoenicial! a Mariner, led
By fate, or love, or venture, to Egypt
In the old, old times; and they claimed him dead.
“Some Man of Phoenicial! a Mariner, led
By fate, or love, or venture, to Egypt
In the old, old times; and they claimed him dead.
“Ask if in life they did meet, as in death;
Find out, Dear, what that hidden sign saith;
Sometimes you tell me of things we behold not,
Life beyond living, speech subtler than breath.”
Find out, Dear, what that hidden sign saith;
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Life beyond living, speech subtler than breath.”
She laughed. But quickly her laughter died;
Her brown eyes misted, though fixed and wide;
Through all her body ran tender tremors,
Silent and rigid she pressed to my side.
Her brown eyes misted, though fixed and wide;
Through all her body ran tender tremors,
Silent and rigid she pressed to my side.
Presently, “Yes!” she sighed, “I have willed!
The place with the Presences is filled!
I have seen that Lady! Ah! how she loved him!
Nesta of Saïs: you would have thrilled
The place with the Presences is filled!
I have seen that Lady! Ah! how she loved him!
Nesta of Saïs: you would have thrilled
At beauty so rich and bold and splendid
(Well might he worship!) 'Twas done and ended
Twenty-five centuries back—yon Hodo
To say to me this from his shelf descended:”
(Well might he worship!) 'Twas done and ended
Twenty-five centuries back—yon Hodo
To say to me this from his shelf descended:”
“I, Hodo—scribe—at Pharaoh's bidding, penned
Dread tales, from their beginning to their close
Out of the mouth of Ithobal of Tyre
Chief Captain of the sea, who, by strange ways,
Saw the Dark World, and went and came. He spake
In Phenku, on his face before the King:—
(With whom be peace, and health and length of days!)
On slabs of stone I wrote it—month of Bûl—
Ninth year of Neko. May the Lord of Kings
Show mercy, and forgive this scribe his faults!
Dread tales, from their beginning to their close
Out of the mouth of Ithobal of Tyre
Chief Captain of the sea, who, by strange ways,
Saw the Dark World, and went and came. He spake
In Phenku, on his face before the King:—
(With whom be peace, and health and length of days!)
On slabs of stone I wrote it—month of Bûl—
5
Show mercy, and forgive this scribe his faults!
“Do you hear?—He wrote, by the King's desire
From lips of Ethbaal, famous in Tyre—
The chief Sea-Captain—a marvellous story
Of ships which sailed thro' tempest and fire.
From lips of Ethbaal, famous in Tyre—
The chief Sea-Captain—a marvellous story
Of ships which sailed thro' tempest and fire.
And darkness and perils, and nether dread
To lands and waters where none had sped:
To Libya's Horn—Ah! here is another
Who will not be still, till his story is said:
To lands and waters where none had sped:
To Libya's Horn—Ah! here is another
Who will not be still, till his story is said:
A learned one that must speak with me,
Reader in Pharaoh's Court was he,
Who knew the tongues and wrote the Scriptures,
And this, he doth urge, must imparted be.
Reader in Pharaoh's Court was he,
Who knew the tongues and wrote the Scriptures,
And this, he doth urge, must imparted be.
“I, Tchat-Kensu, Reciter to the King,
Read Hodo's stones, and did them into script
By order of the King, that he might hear,
Again, and yet again, at resting hours,
The wonders of that sailing of the seas;
Also, that men to come, finding new worlds
And, haply, learning more the ways of Gods,
Bear themselves humble, being 'ware that deeds
Greater than theirs' were wrought in days before.
Read Hodo's stones, and did them into script
By order of the King, that he might hear,
Again, and yet again, at resting hours,
The wonders of that sailing of the seas;
Also, that men to come, finding new worlds
And, haply, learning more the ways of Gods,
Bear themselves humble, being 'ware that deeds
Greater than theirs' were wrought in days before.
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“Have you heard? This sage one—this Tchat-Kensu
Lord of the Records and bidden thereto—
Tells how he pictured that story of Hodo
In hieroglyphs. He says, “I rue
Lord of the Records and bidden thereto—
Tells how he pictured that story of Hodo
In hieroglyphs. He says, “I rue
“My lost scrolls more than my life, which is nought,
For this was the mightiest marvel wrought
On all the waters, from World's beginning
Till the earth and the sea shall end.” Methought
For this was the mightiest marvel wrought
On all the waters, from World's beginning
Till the earth and the sea shall end.” Methought
To ask of Ithobal—“Nay!” she replied
“They are gone! He, too, the man, dark-eyed,
Terrible, noble, in Tyrian garments,
With the great sword girded upon his side.
“They are gone! He, too, the man, dark-eyed,
Terrible, noble, in Tyrian garments,
With the great sword girded upon his side.
“Yet Nesta lingers, and seems would sing:
Strange I can follow this ancient thing!
Nesta of Saïs—shaking her sistrum—
Chanting the tale of the ships of the King.
Strange I can follow this ancient thing!
Nesta of Saïs—shaking her sistrum—
Chanting the tale of the ships of the King.
“I think she would tell us how Ithobal stood
At Pharaoh's feet in his goodlihood;
The brown crews kneeling around, the people
Open-eyed, wide-mouthed, in earnest mood
At Pharaoh's feet in his goodlihood;
The brown crews kneeling around, the people
Open-eyed, wide-mouthed, in earnest mood
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To catch those words of the wonderful sailing
When, danger with daring countervailing
All round that land of the nethermost darkness,
This Captain of Tyre came back prevailing.
When, danger with daring countervailing
All round that land of the nethermost darkness,
This Captain of Tyre came back prevailing.
“Saïs, City of Neith,
Flickered and danced in the glare:
Danced in the blazing gold of the noon;
Temples and gateways and trees,
Like unto Temple-girls did these
Dance for the glory of Neith;
Golden and green and white and brown,
So did the houses and groves and town,
Walls, roofs, window-bars, up and down
Dance for the glory of Neith.
Shadows glanced on the glass of the lake,
Palm-fans danced in the fluttering air,
All for the Light's sweet sake;
For the Goddess, mighty and glad and fair,
Who makes for her people the golden day
And the dear delight of the sun-warmed air,
Twenty-five centuries back.—
Ah, can you listen to what I say?—
Egypt under the sunshine lay,
Basking in gold and black.
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Ruler of Nile and its lands,
Lord of River and fields,
Holding the World in his hands.
“Crowded is Pharaoh's hall;
Columns painted and tall,
Cut from the rosy stones of Nile,
Lead to the sculptured wall;
Where the Lord of Egypt throned in state
With glad and gracious ear doth wait
To hear what story his ships have brought
From the great deed wrought
By him who sailed at the King's command
To the Dark and Dread of the Nether Land,
And have come alive from those realms of death.
‘We will hear, we will hear, what he saith’
Hath issued decree, and the King doth sit
To listen to all the marvel of it,
With Princes and priests and slaves about,
And of sailors and negroes a rout;
Yet all eyes bound
Not upon Pharaoh's face, but his
Who in the midst of this,
His brown crew kneeling anigh, recites,
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How he hath come and how he did go
By ways on the waters which none did know.
“Who is this that is standing,
Greater than Pharaoh is great,
Wearing no robe of state,
But lordly, large, and commanding;
And in his eyes the fire
Of the Hawk of Horus, when out of the cloud
He stoops, and his hot desire
Is quenched in the flesh of the quarry slain,
And the bold bird glides again
Back to his niche in the temple wall?
Ithobal in that hall
Satisfied, resolute, stained by the Sun,
Telleth to Pharaoh what things he hath done;
So did my lord to the King
Relate this marvellous thing.”
| The Voyage of Ithobal | |