Canto 9Prologue - Alnuman and the Peri

Book 2. Part Two - Baroda Circa 1898 – 1902

PROLOGUE

Alnuman and the Peri

In Bagdad by Euphrates, Asia’s river,

Euphrates that through deserts must deliver

5The voices which of human daybreaks are

Into the dim mysterious surge afar,

The Arabian dwelt; after long travel he.

Regions deserted, wastes of silent sea,

Wide Ocean ignorant of ships and lands

10Never made glad by toil of mortal hands

For he had seen, the Indian mountains bare

Save of hard snow and the unbreathed huge air

And swum through giant waters and had heard

In those unhuman forests beast and bird,

15The peacock’s cry and tiger’s hoarse appeal

Calling to God for prey, marked the vast wheel

Of monstrous birds shadowing whole countries; he

From Singhal through the long infinity

Of southern floods had steered his shuddering ship

20Where unknown winds their lonely tumult keep.

And he had lived with strong and pitiless men,

Nations unhumanized by joy and pain,

And he had tasted grain not sown by man

And drunk strange milk in weird Mazinderan.

25Silent he was, as one whom thoughts attend,

Distant, whom stiller hearts than ours befriend.

He lived with memories only; no sweet voice

Made the mute echoes of his life rejoice;

No lovely face of children brought the dawn

30Into his home; but silent, calm, withdrawn,

He watched the ways of men with godlike eyes

Released from trammelling affinities.

Yet was he young and many women strove

Vainly to win his marble mind to love.

35One day when wind had fled to the cool north

And the strong earth was blind with summer, forth

Baroda, c. 1898–1902

The Arabian rode from great Bagdad and turned

Into the desert. All around him burned

40The imprisoned spirit of fire; above his head

The sky was like a tyranny outspread,

The sun a fire in those heavens, and fire

The sands beneath; the air burning desire

And breathless, a plumb weight of flame; yet rode

45The Arabian unfeeling like a god.

Three hours he rode and now no more was seen

Bagdad, the imperial city, nor aught green,

But the illimitable sands around

Extend, a silent world waiting for sound,

50When in the distance he descried a grace

Of motion beautiful in that dead place.

Wondering he turned, but suddenly the horse

Pricked up his slender ears, swerved from the course

And pawing stood the unwilling air, nor heard

55The guiding voice nor the familiar word.

Whinnying with wrath he smote the desert sand

And mocked the rein and raged at the command.

Then raised the man his face and saw above

No cloud with the stark face of heaven strove,

60A single blaze of light from pole to pole.

Smiling the Arabian spoke unto his soul.

“Here too then are you strong, O influences

That trouble the earth and air and the strong seas!

Therefore I will not stay your gathering wings

65Who watch me from the air, you living things,

But go to find whatever peril or wonder

Wait me of life above the earth or under.

Strange will it be if quiet Bagdad yield

More terror or more sweetness than in field

70Has stayed me yet or in untravelled flood

Or mountain or the tiger-throated wood.”

So saying he grasped the strong and shaken mane

And set swift footing on the fiery plain.

At once the beast as if by sorcery

75Khaled of the Sea

Strangely compelled, calmed his impetuous eye;

His angry tremor ceased and bounding wrath

Following unbidden in the Arabian’s path.

But he with silent toil the sands untried

80Vanquishing through that luminous world and wide

Went a slow shadow, till his feet untired

The fruit of all his labour long acquired.

Before a mile complete he was aware

Of a strange shape of beauty sitting there

85On a sole boulder in the level wild,

Maiden, a marvellous bloom, a naked child;

All like a lily from her leaves escaped

The golden summer kissed her close and wrapped

In soft revealing sunshine, — a sweet bareness,

90A creature made of flowers and choicest fairness;

And all her limbs were like a luminous dream,

So wonderfully white they burn and gleam,

Her shoulder ivory richly bathed in gold,

Her sides a snowy wonder to behold,

95Marble made amorous; her body fair

Seemed one with the divine, translucent air,

A light within the light, a glorious treasure,

A thing to hold, to kiss, to slay with pleasure.

This girl was not alone, but with her watched

100Two shapes of beauty and of terror hatched,

A strong, fierce snake, round her sweet middle twined,

A tigress at her lovely feet reclined.

Dreaming on those tremendous sands she waited

And often with that splendour miscreated

105Played thoughtfully, about her wondrous knees

Binding the brilliant death or would increase

The whiteness of her limbs with its fierce hues

Or twine it in her tresses flowing loose.

Below that other restless evil played,

110The fierce, sleek terror on the sands outspread.

First of the wonderful three rose with a bound

Waking the desert from its sleep with sound

Baroda, c. 1898–1902

The tigress, but the Arabian strode more near

115As one who had forgotten how to fear

And frowning like a god with kingly look

He threatened the preparing death and shook

His javelin in the sun. Back crouched the fiend

Amazed nor could the steely light attend

120Nor that unconquerable glance; yet lowered

To find her dreadful violence overpowered

By any smaller thing than death; and he

Heeded no more crouched limb nor stealthy eye.

He on that flowerlike shape a moment gazed

125As one by strange felicity amazed,

Who long grown sorrow’s friend his whole life grieves,

Blest beyond expectation, scarce believes

That joy is in his heart — so gazed, so laid

At last upon the white and gleaming maid

130The question of his hands. O soft and real

The nakedness he grasped, no marble ideal

Born of the blazing light and infinite air,

A breathing woman with lovely limbs and bare.

Then with a strong melodious voice he cried

135And all his cheek was flushed with royal pride.

“Thou then art mine, after long labour mine,

O earthly body and O soul divine,

After long labour and thy sounding home

Hast left and caverns where thy sisters roam,

140O dweller where the austral tempest raves!

O daughter of the wild and beautiful waves!

Ah breasts of beauty! Ah delicious shoulder!

Leading from bliss to bliss the hands that hold her,

At length I grasp you then and snared at length

145The ivory swiftness of thy feet and strength

Of this immortal body shaped for kings,

O memory of sweet and dreadful things!

Ah welcome to the streets that human tread

Makes musical and joy of human bread

150Broken between dry hands and to the sight

Khaled of the Sea

Of the untroubled narrow rivers, light

Of lamps and warmth of kindled fires and man.

Fairer shall be thy feet on greensward than

155On ocean rocks and O! more bright thy beauty

For human passion and for womanly duty

And softer in my bosom shalt thou sleep

Than lulled by the sublime and monstrous deep.

Much have I laboured; the resplendent face

160Of summer I have hated, as the days

Went by and no delightful brook was found

Sprinkling with earth’s cool love the ruthless ground,

And in my throat there was a desert’s thirst

And on my tongue a fire: I have cursed

165The spring and all its flowers: the wrathful cry

Of the wild waters and their cruelty

I have endured, labouring with sail and oar

Through the mad tempest for some human shore

And fought with winds, and seen vast Hell aflame

170Down in the nether flood till I became

Blind with the sight of those abysmal graves

And deaf with the eternal sound of waves

And all my heart was broken alone to be

Day after day with the unending sea.

175And much on land I have laboured without moan

Or weakening tears making my heart a stone.

But thou art come and I shall hear no more

By inexorable rocks the Ocean roar,

Nor pine in dungeons far from pity or aid.

180But in far other prison, seaborn maid,

Thy limbs shall minister to my delight

Even as an ordinary woman’s might.

And I shall hear thy voice around my heart

Like a cool rivulet and shall not start

185To see thee ivory gleaming and all night

Shall feel thee in my arms, O darling white —

With afterjoys that spring from these; the face

Of childish loveliness shall light my days,

Baroda, c. 1898–1902

190About my doors the feet of children tread

And little heads with jonquils garlanded,

That often to sweetness win war-hardened eyes

And hearts grown iron their soft masteries

Compel and the light touch of little hands

195Bend sworded fingers to their sweet commands.

O bright felicity, labour’s dear end,

Into my arms, into my heart descend.”

So as he spoke, the silent desert air

Lived with his gladness, and the maiden there

200Listened with downcast lids and a soft flush

Upon her like the coming of a blush.

But when he finished and the air was mute,

She laughed with happy lips most like a flute

Or voice of cuckoo in an Indian grove

205Waking the heart to vague delightful love.

And with divine eyes gleaming where strange mirth

A smiling mischief was, the living girth

Of her delicious waist she suddenly

Unbound and by the middle lifting high

210Betwixt them shook. Hissed the fierce snake and raised

Its jewelled hood for spotted radiance praised,

Its jewelled hood to the dread leap distended:

Sad limit of noble life, had that descended

Since short his breath and evil, who that pang

215Experienced; but before the serpent sprang,

Wrathful, the Arabian seized the glittering neck

And twines of bronze burning with many a fleck

Of coloured fire. His angry grasp to quell

Vainly the formidable folds rebel:

220Not all that gordian force and slippery strength

Of coils availed. Inanimate at length,

The immense destroyer on the Arabian’s wrist

Hung in a ruin loose; and to resist

His wrath of love none now might intervene,

225Nor she deny him. Yet with tranquil mien

Smiling she sat and swept with noble gesture

Khaled of the Sea

Her hair back that had fallen a purple investure

Over her glowing grace. Strong arms he cast

230Around her naked loveliness and fast

Showered kisses on her limbs whose marble white

Grew woman with a soft and rosy light

In each kissed place. “Deemedst thou then,” he cried,

“Bright fugitive, lovely wanderer with the tide,

235By shaking death before death-practised eyes

My crown to wrest of strenuous enterprise,

Thyself, thyself and beauty? O too sweet

To touch our hard earth with thy faultless feet!

Yet on hard earth must dwell. For with the ground

240Thy dreadful guardians who have fenced thee round

Are equalled, and thyself, sweet, though thou shame

The winds with swiftness or like mounting flame

Strive all thy days in my imprisoning arms,

Couldst burn thyself no exit. With alarms

245Menace and shapes of death; call on the flood

For thy deliverance on these sands to intrude

And lead thee to its jealous waters rude;

But hands that have flung back the swallowing sea

Shall stay and chastise and habituate thee

250To service due.” He said and with the words

The power in his soul increased, as birds

With sounds encourage love and like great waves

Exulting, rose against the breasts he craves,

So he engrossed the lovely limbs. Then grasping

255Her fair soft arm in one hand, the other clasping

Her smooth desir`ed thighs, from that rude seat,

The grey sun-blistered boulder most unmeet

To bear her snowwhite radiance, lifted. She

As to his horse he bore her mightily,

260A little strove in his strong arms, but round

Her lithe, reluctant limbs closer he bound

His despot hands and on the saddle set

Never with such sweet rider burdened yet.

Then to his seat he sprang and musical

265Baroda, c. 1898–1902

His cry in that vast silence, wherewithal

He urged his horse, which delicately went

Arching its neck with joy and proud content.

Great were the Arabian’s labours; many seas

270He had passed and borne impossible miseries

And battled with impracticable ills

O’er uncrossed rivers and forbidden hills,

Till nature fainted. Yet too little was this

To merit all the heaven now made his.

275For she, earth’s wonder hard to grasp as fire,

She whom all ocean’s secret depths admire,

Laid her delicious cheek to his and flung

Sweet, bare arms on his neck and round him clung:

Her snowy side was of his being a part;

280Her naked breast burdened his throbbing heart,

And all her hair streamed over him and the whiteness

Of her was in his eyes and her soft brightness

A joy beneath his hands, to his embrace

And he was clothed with her as in a dress.

285Round them the strong recovered coils were rolled

Of the great snake and with imperious fold

Compelled their limbs together, and by their side

Pacing the tigress checked her dangerous stride.

So rode they like a vision. All the time

290She murmured accents as of link`ed rhyme

Musical, in a language like the sea,

Accents of undulating melody.

For sometimes it was like a happy noon

Murmuring with waves and sometimes like the swoon

295Of calm, a silence heard, or rich by noise

Of rivers pouring with their seaward voice

And leaping laughters and sometimes was wild

And passionate as the sobbing of a child.

But often it was like the cold salt spray

300On a health-reddened cheek and glad with day

And life and sad with the far-moaning call

Of wind upon the waters funeral.

Khaled of the Sea

Not on the lips of man might fashioned be

305A language of such wild variety.

Now of that magic tongue no separate word

Was of Alnuman understood nor heard,

And yet he knew that of the caves she spoke

Where never earthly light of sunshine woke,

310And of unfathomed things beneath the floods

And peopled depths and Ocean solitudes

And mighty creatures of the main and light

Of jewels making a subluminous night

Lower than even the dead may sink; and walls

315Of coral and in what majestic halls

The naked seaborn sisters link their dance;

How sometimes on the shores their white limbs glance

In the mysterious moonlight; how they come

To river-banks far from their secret home;

320And last she spoke of mighty Love that reaches

Resistless arms beyond the long sea-beaches

And mocks the barriers of the storm, and how

Pearls unattainable a human brow

Have decked and man, the child of misery,

325Been mated with the sisters of the sea.

So on she murmured like a ceaseless song

Making the weary sands a rapture; long

The patient desert round them waits; nor soon

The sun toiled through the endless afternoon:

330But they paced always like a marvellous dream,

And dreamlike in the eyes of man might seem

Such magic vision (had human eyes been found

In the sole desert void of sign or bound), —

The horse that feared its dread companion not;

335The kingly man with brow of reaching thought

And danger-hardened strength; fair as the morn,

The radiant girl upon his saddle borne,

Naked, a vision not of earth; the fell

Serpent that twined about them, terrible

340With burning hues; and the fierce tigress there

Baroda, c. 1898–1902

Following with noiseless step the godlike pair.

Nor when to Bagdad and its streets they came,

Did any eye behold. Only a name

345Was in the ears of the grim warders. Straight

Like engines blind of some o’ermastering fate

They rose, the mighty bolts they drew: loud jarred

The doors unhearing with deaf iron barred

And groaned upon their road; then backward swung

350Whirling and kissed again with clamorous tongue.

Nor in the streets was any step of man,

Before loud wheels no swift torchbearers ran

Setting the night on fire; bright and rare

The garlanded highshuttered windows, where

355Men revelled and sound into the shadows cast:

All else was night and silence where they passed.

So is the beautiful sea stranger gone

To her new home, who now no more must run

Upon the bounding waves nor feel the sun

360On wind-blown limbs, destined a mortal’s bride.

So is the strong Arabian deified

In bliss. Moreover from the wondrous night

When with those small beloved feet grew bright

His lonely house, wealth like a sea swept through

365Its doors and as a dwelling of gods it grew

In beauty and in brightness. All that thrives

Costly or fragrant upon earth or lives

Of riches in the hoarding ocean lost

And all bright things with gold or gems embossed

370By Indian or by Syrian art refined

And all rich cloths and silks with jewels lined

Regal Bokhara weaves or Samarcand,

Increased and gathered to Alnuman’s hand

And girls of glorious limb and feature he

375Bought for his slaves, of rose and ivory,

Sweet Persians with the honey-hiding mouth

And passionate Arab girls and strong-limbed youth

Of Tartar maidens for his harem doors.

Khaled of the Sea

380For now not vainly the fair child implores

Of Shaikh or of Emir his love for boon,

But with high marriage-rites some prosperous moon

At last has brought into the marble pride

Of that great house for envy edified.

385So in Bagdad the Arabian dwelt nor seemed

Other his life than theirs who never dreamed

Beyond earth’s ken, nor made in sun and breeze

Their spirits great with shock of the strong seas,

Nor fortified their hearts with pains sublime

390Nor wrestled with the bounds of space and time.

Like common men he lived to whom the ray

Of a new sun but brings another day

Unmeaning, who in their own selves confined

Know not the grandeur which the mightier mind

395Inherits when it makes the destinies rude

The chisel by which its marble mass and crude

With God’s or hero’s likeness is indued.

Yet this was also rumoured that within

The sheath of that calm life he sojourned in

400An edge of flaming rapture was, that things

Beyond all transitory imaginings

Came to him secret and vast pleasures more

Than frail humanity had dared to feel before.

Since too much joy man’s heart can hardly bear

405And all too weak man’s narrow senses were

For raptures that eternal spirits attain

In sensuous heavens ignorant of pain.

Yet even such raptures mortal man’s could be

Wed with the child of the unbounded sea.