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17
THE LION OF SAMARCAND.
Here's a tale you may rely on,
From a far and foreign land:
There was once a famous Lion,
On the hills of Samarcand.
From a far and foreign land:
There was once a famous Lion,
On the hills of Samarcand.
And this Lion used to ravage
All the flocks and folds, by night;
When his roar rose, fierce and savage,
Quaked the shepherds with affright.
All the flocks and folds, by night;
When his roar rose, fierce and savage,
Quaked the shepherds with affright.
Many hunters had beset him,
Some in ambush, some with snare,
But he slew each foe that met him,
And their bones lay bleaching there.
Some in ambush, some with snare,
But he slew each foe that met him,
And their bones lay bleaching there.
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Little children, too, left straying,
In wild gorge or lonely glen,
He snatch'd up, amid their playing,
And devour'd them in his den.
In wild gorge or lonely glen,
He snatch'd up, amid their playing,
And devour'd them in his den.
Warriors shook their spears of iron,
Women wail'd throughout the land,
Crying, “Woe befall this Lion
On the hills of Samarcand!”
Women wail'd throughout the land,
Crying, “Woe befall this Lion
On the hills of Samarcand!”
In a hut, beside the river,
Dwelt a widow and her son—
Oft she bless'd the gracious Giver
For that dear and only one.
Dwelt a widow and her son—
Oft she bless'd the gracious Giver
For that dear and only one.
He was all her hope and glory,
All her store and all her stay,
And his noble deeds, my story
Shall declare to you this day.
All her store and all her stay,
And his noble deeds, my story
Shall declare to you this day.
He was steadfast and true-hearted,
Fond and faithful as a dove;
Never had his feet departed
From the paths of truth and love.
Fond and faithful as a dove;
Never had his feet departed
From the paths of truth and love.
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But, an eagle in his daring,
Much he ponder'd on the wrong
Wrought by that fierce foe, unsparing,
Peasant homes and hearts among.
Much he ponder'd on the wrong
Wrought by that fierce foe, unsparing,
Peasant homes and hearts among.
Of a warrior race the scion,
He vow'd, inly, to withstand,
And, with God's help, slay the Lion
On the hills of Samarcand.
He vow'd, inly, to withstand,
And, with God's help, slay the Lion
On the hills of Samarcand.
When, at last, that vow was spoken,
White and wan his mother grew,
And her aged heart seem'd broken,
And her tears fell fast, like dew.
White and wan his mother grew,
And her aged heart seem'd broken,
And her tears fell fast, like dew.
But he soothed her grief, and kneeling
At her feet, he strove to say,
With a fervent glance, appealing,
“Mother, bless thy son, this day!”
At her feet, he strove to say,
With a fervent glance, appealing,
“Mother, bless thy son, this day!”
And she kiss'd him and she bless'd him,
Half in joy, and half in pain;
And her clinging arms caress'd him,
Till the youth leap'd up again,
Half in joy, and half in pain;
And her clinging arms caress'd him,
Till the youth leap'd up again,
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Heart of steel, and will of iron,
Strong to struggle and withstand—
So, he went to fight the Lion
On the hills of Samarcand.
Strong to struggle and withstand—
So, he went to fight the Lion
On the hills of Samarcand.
All day long he sought him vainly,
Sought him with a steady mind;
But at dead of midnight, plainly,
Came his roaring on the wind.
Sought him with a steady mind;
But at dead of midnight, plainly,
Came his roaring on the wind.
Not from out the forest olden,
Rose that voice of savage strain;
But afar, where, full and golden,
Fell the moonlight on the plain.
Rose that voice of savage strain;
But afar, where, full and golden,
Fell the moonlight on the plain.
Sprang the youth to instant action,
Humming, as he strode along,
In his soul's great satisfaction,
Words of some wild battle song.
Humming, as he strode along,
In his soul's great satisfaction,
Words of some wild battle song.
'Neath a tall green palm-tree, blooming
O'er a little way-side well,
He beheld a blackness looming,
And two eyes flash fierce and fell.
O'er a little way-side well,
He beheld a blackness looming,
And two eyes flash fierce and fell.
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Fast he clutch'd his spear of iron,
Lightly leap'd he o'er the sand,
Face to face he met the Lion
Of the hills of Samarcand!
Lightly leap'd he o'er the sand,
Face to face he met the Lion
Of the hills of Samarcand!
With a burst of bellowing thunder
He look'd up his foe to greet,
And the desert trembled under,
When he bounded to his feet.
He look'd up his foe to greet,
And the desert trembled under,
When he bounded to his feet.
Smiled the youth, that fury shaming,
One brief prayer he breathed to God;
Then, his spear, like lightning flaming,
Steep'd the tawny hide in blood.
One brief prayer he breathed to God;
Then, his spear, like lightning flaming,
Steep'd the tawny hide in blood.
But the desert king, in wonder,
Dash'd the weapon from the wound,—
'Neath his paw 'twas snapp'd asunder,
With his tail he lash'd the ground.
Dash'd the weapon from the wound,—
'Neath his paw 'twas snapp'd asunder,
With his tail he lash'd the ground.
One fierce spring, and stunn'd and gory
Sank the youth upon the sod—
Oh! the widow's hope and glory!
Who can save him now but God!
Sank the youth upon the sod—
Oh! the widow's hope and glory!
Who can save him now but God!
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Rolling over, rolling under,
Scarce the struggling youth can breathe;
In his ear, that deafening thunder,
In his flesh, those rending teeth.
Scarce the struggling youth can breathe;
In his ear, that deafening thunder,
In his flesh, those rending teeth.
Gasp and groan, and sob and smother—
Faint he grows with cruel pain,
When a thought of that poor mother
Gives him back his strength again.
Faint he grows with cruel pain,
When a thought of that poor mother
Gives him back his strength again.
He leaps up with sudden stagger,—
Curls his lip and flames his brow;
In his grasp there gleams a dagger,—
Ha! its long blade's hidden now,—
Curls his lip and flames his brow;
In his grasp there gleams a dagger,—
Ha! its long blade's hidden now,—
Hidden deep, oh! that, rely on,
By a firm and faithful hand,
In the heart of the great Lion
Of the hills of Samarcand.
By a firm and faithful hand,
In the heart of the great Lion
Of the hills of Samarcand.
Back the brute falls, grim and gory,
On the stain'd and trampled sod,
And the youth gives all the glory,
Offers all the praise to God!
On the stain'd and trampled sod,
And the youth gives all the glory,
Offers all the praise to God!
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When, through gorge and glen defiling,
Came the multitude at morn,
Faint the hero lay, yet smiling,
Like a warrior, battle-worn.
Came the multitude at morn,
Faint the hero lay, yet smiling,
Like a warrior, battle-worn.
All his open wounds untended,
Weary and too weak to rise,
But a radiance, pure and splendid,
Flashing from his earnest eyes.
Weary and too weak to rise,
But a radiance, pure and splendid,
Flashing from his earnest eyes.
And beside the spear of iron,
Stark upon the bloody sand,
There they saw the famous Lion
Of the hills of Samarcand.
Stark upon the bloody sand,
There they saw the famous Lion
Of the hills of Samarcand.
Loving looks the youth surrounded,
Children to his feet were led,
Shouts of grateful joy resounded,
Tender tears the maidens shed.
Children to his feet were led,
Shouts of grateful joy resounded,
Tender tears the maidens shed.
And the women knelt before him,
All his wounds they staunch'd with care,
Pour'd the balm of pity o'er him,
Kiss'd his hands and sleek'd his hair.
All his wounds they staunch'd with care,
Pour'd the balm of pity o'er him,
Kiss'd his hands and sleek'd his hair.
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So ere long, from where they found him,
Home the happy youth was borne,
With the cymbals clashing round him,
And the echoing hunter's horn.
Home the happy youth was borne,
With the cymbals clashing round him,
And the echoing hunter's horn.
And strong men, with nerves of iron,
Three by three, on either hand,
Bore the carcase of the Lion
From the hills of Samarcand.
Three by three, on either hand,
Bore the carcase of the Lion
From the hills of Samarcand.
Down the glens and o'er the mountains,
Through embattled cities fair,
Where the sheeny foam of fountains
Sheds a glory on the air;
Through embattled cities fair,
Where the sheeny foam of fountains
Sheds a glory on the air;
Through the pastures, dew-enamell'd,
Gleaming in the golden morn,
Through the green glades, sunbeam-trammell'd,
Home the happy youth was borne.
Gleaming in the golden morn,
Through the green glades, sunbeam-trammell'd,
Home the happy youth was borne.
And the people press'd to greet him,
In a still increasing throng,
All the land came out to meet him,
Came with shouting and with song.
In a still increasing throng,
All the land came out to meet him,
Came with shouting and with song.
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Gorgeous flowers along his traces
By untiring hands were cast,
From high windows sunny faces
Smiled in beauty as he pass'd.
By untiring hands were cast,
From high windows sunny faces
Smiled in beauty as he pass'd.
Through the glens, athwart the meadows,
Down the cedarn alleys dim,
Where the sunbeams pierced the shadows,
As it were, to follow him.
Down the cedarn alleys dim,
Where the sunbeams pierced the shadows,
As it were, to follow him.
With the cymbals, loud and glorious,
Doubling drum and echoing horn,
Like a wounded king victorious,
Home the happy youth was borne.
Doubling drum and echoing horn,
Like a wounded king victorious,
Home the happy youth was borne.
When his mother's eyes perceived him,
Forth she flew to meet her son,
Tottering, trembling, she received him,
Him, her dear and only one.
Forth she flew to meet her son,
Tottering, trembling, she received him,
Him, her dear and only one.
Oh! she kiss'd him and she bless'd him,
And her tears fell fast, like rain,
And her clinging arms caress'd him,
And he cheer'd her heart again.
And her tears fell fast, like rain,
And her clinging arms caress'd him,
And he cheer'd her heart again.
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But, for many a night and morrow,
By his couch her hours were past,
Half in joy, and half in sorrow,
Till the youth rose up at last,
By his couch her hours were past,
Half in joy, and half in sorrow,
Till the youth rose up at last,
Heart of steel, and frame of iron,
Just as strong to strive and stand,
As before he fought the Lion
On the hills of Samarcand.
Just as strong to strive and stand,
As before he fought the Lion
On the hills of Samarcand.
And that valiant action made him
So beloved, that rich and poor
Universal tribute paid him,
And beside his cottage door
So beloved, that rich and poor
Universal tribute paid him,
And beside his cottage door
Chiefs and captains stood, bareheaded,
Doing homage to his worth;
And ere long the youth was wedded
To a maid of royal birth.
Doing homage to his worth;
And ere long the youth was wedded
To a maid of royal birth.
So, when foes beset the nation,
And their chief in fight was slain,
And misrule and desolation
Threaten'd to set up their reign;
And their chief in fight was slain,
And misrule and desolation
Threaten'd to set up their reign;
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When the stricken people trembled,
And the strong their fears confess'd,
All the lords of state assembled,
And the noblest and the best
And the strong their fears confess'd,
All the lords of state assembled,
And the noblest and the best
Chose the man they could rely on,
To uphold the sinking land,
And the Slayer of the Lion
Was made King of Samarcand!
To uphold the sinking land,
And the Slayer of the Lion
Was made King of Samarcand!
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