Sonnets, Lyrics and Translations By the Rev. Charles Turner [i.e. Charles Tennyson] |
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A LEGEND FROM DE LAMARTINE'S TRAVELS IN
THE EAST, VERSIFIED. |
 | Sonnets, Lyrics and Translations |  |
84
A LEGEND FROM DE LAMARTINE'S TRAVELS IN THE EAST, VERSIFIED.
It was upon a Lammas night
Two brothers woke and said,
As each upon the other's weal
Bethought him on his bed;
Two brothers woke and said,
As each upon the other's weal
Bethought him on his bed;
The elder spake unto his wife,
Our brother dwells alone;
No little babes to cheer his life,
And helpmate hath he none.
Our brother dwells alone;
No little babes to cheer his life,
And helpmate hath he none.
Up will I get and of my heap
A sheaf bestow or twain,
The while our Ahmed lies asleep,
And wots not of the gain.
A sheaf bestow or twain,
The while our Ahmed lies asleep,
And wots not of the gain.
85
So up he got and did address
Himself with loving heed,
Before the dawning of the day,
To do that gracious deed.
Himself with loving heed,
Before the dawning of the day,
To do that gracious deed.
Now to the younger, all unsought,
The same kind fancy came!
Nor wist they of each other's thought,
Though movèd to the same.
The same kind fancy came!
Nor wist they of each other's thought,
Though movèd to the same.
Abdallah, he hath wife, quoth he,
And little babes also;
What would be slender boot to me,
Will make his heart o'erflow.
And little babes also;
What would be slender boot to me,
Will make his heart o'erflow.
Up will I get, and of my heap
A sheaf bestow or twain,
The while he sweetly lies asleep,
And wots not of the gain.
A sheaf bestow or twain,
The while he sweetly lies asleep,
And wots not of the gain.
So up he got and did address
Himself with loving heed,
Before the dawning of the day,
To mate his brother's deed!
Himself with loving heed,
Before the dawning of the day,
To mate his brother's deed!
86
Thus play'd they oft their gracious parts,
And marvell'd oft to view
Their sheaves still equal, for their hearts
In love were equal too.
And marvell'd oft to view
Their sheaves still equal, for their hearts
In love were equal too.
One morn they met, and wondering stood,
To see by clear daylight,
How each upon the other's good
Bethought him in the night.
To see by clear daylight,
How each upon the other's good
Bethought him in the night.
So when this tale to him was brought,
The Caliph did decree,
Where twain had thought the same good thought
There Allah's House should be.
The Caliph did decree,
Where twain had thought the same good thought
There Allah's House should be.
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