Fakeer of Jungheera 2.5
O! Love is strong, and its hopes 'twill build
Where nothing beside would dare;
O! Love is bright and its beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare,
And youth is the time, the joyful time
When visions of bliss are before us;
But alas! when gone, in our sober prime
We sigh for the days flown o'er us.
For youth and love their hopes will build
Where nothing beside would dare;
And they both are bright, and their beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.
The rain fell fast, and the midnight blast
Its horrible chaunt did sing,
And it howled and raved as it madly past
Like a demon on wildest wing.
The precipitous lightning beamed all bright,
As it flashed from the dark, dark sky,
Like the beautiful glance (which kills with its light)
Of a woman's large black eye.
It hissed through the air, and it dipped in the wave,
And it madly plunged into earth,
Then pursued the wind to its desolate cave,
And rushed to its home in the north;
Some spirit had charmed each gathered cloud
Till the mystic spell it broke;
And then uprising, oft and loud
The heavens in thunder spoke.
And sooth it seemed as if save that gleam
All nature had lost her light—
The moon had concealed her beautiful beam;
'Twas a fearful, fearful night.
On the wings of the storm each star had past
To its home of rest far away,
As if in the blast there could not last
Of radiance even a ray;
As if like hope and joy they ne'er
Too long should brightly shine,
Lest if on earth they for ever were,
Existence might be divine!
'Twas a dismal night; and the tempest sang
As it rushed o'er flood and fell;
And loud the laugh of spirits rang
With the demon's midnight yell.
And the shriek and cry rose wild and high
From many an earthless form;
And roar and shout cut through the sky,
And mixed with the voice of the storm.
But love is strong, and its hopes 'twill build
Where nothing beside would dare,
And love is bright, and its beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.
And youth is the time, the joyful time
When visions of bliss are before us,
But alas! when gone, in our sober prime
We sigh for the days flown o'er us.
For love and youth their hopes will build
Where nothing beside would dare;
And they both are bright, and their beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.
O! why at this hour in the dark
Shushan Is the Prince Jogindra sighing?
Sure that cannot be a dwelling for man
Where the loathsome dead are lying.
Unearthly dogs are barking there
As to break the dead sleeper's dream;
And the grey wolf howls—'tis his dismal lair :—
And the owl glints by with a scream.
The night wind moans, like a sick man's groans
When he fevered gasps on his bed—
Then why is the Prince here all alone?
Ah! Radhika fair is dead!
The wind may moan like a sick man's groan
When he fevered gasps on his bed—
But why is the Prince here all alone
Though Radhika fair be dead?
Her spirit is gone to some region blest
Unhurt by the storm and the strife—
She will not wake from her dreamless rest;
And who shall charm her to life?
But there was a man, and a holy man,
A gifted Sunyasee,
Who bade him dwell in the dark Shushan
For days and black nights three.
"There demons shall come and bid thee do
"Full many a fearful deed;
"But if thou quail or shrink, thou'lt rue,
"And death shall be thy meed.
"Each night three trials must be past,
"Of earthly pain severest;
"And thou, if true, shalt win at last
"Thy Radhika fairest, dearest.
"But there's one deed thou shalt not do
"Though a spirit bright shall bid thee—
"Yet if thou dare, that deed thou'lt rue,"
Said the sainted Sunyasee.
"Now name that deed, thou holy man!"
Cried the Prince all eagerly;
"And I shall dwell in the dark
"Shushan For days and black nights three."
"It may not be," said the Sunyasee;
"Thy faith must yet be tried;
"And if great thy love and thy wisdom be,
"Thou, Prince! shalt win thy bride.
"But all unarmed, that home of the dead
"And heedless of friend or foe,
"With feet unshod must Jogindra tread."
Said the Prince—"With joy I go."
For love is strong, and its hopes 'twill build
Where nothing beside would dare;
And love is bright, and its beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.
And youth is the time, the joyful time
When visions of bliss are before us;
But alas! when gone, in our sober prime
We sigh for the days flown o'er us.
For love and youth their hopes will build
Where nothing beside would dare;
And they both are bright, and their beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.
Three days are done, and two nights gone
In painful trials past;
This night remains, and the bride is won
If strong he be to the last.
He sat on a stone, all mute and lone,
By the corpse of his Radhika fair,
When the lightning flashed, and the wind made moan,
And a beautiful spirit stood there!
Her eyes seemed made of the pure star-light,
And her face was mild and sweet;
Her neck was white as the flower of night,
And her tresses kissed her feet.
Her form was like to the cypress tree,
And her cheek, it was young love's bed;
Her fairy step was light and free,
Her lip like the lotus red.
Her voice was sweet as when ripplets meet
And sigh o'er a pebbled strand;
So soft was her song, it seemed to belong
To a happy, heavenly land.
THE SPIRIT'S SONG
O! now do not leave me
Since false friends have flown;
Dear Love ! do not grieve me,
I've thought thee mine own.
'Mid tempest and storm, love!
'Mid good and 'mid ill,
Thy form, thy bright form, love!
My star hath been still.
Though prospects before me
Were darksome and drear,
Though clouds gathered o'erime
Still, still thou wast near!
My visions have faded,
The tear fills mine eye,
My hopes are degraded,
They're hurled from on high.
Like thoughts that are straying
Where darkness should be,
Bright moonbeams are playing
Above the green sea.
Now clouds are concealing
The face of the moon—
As onward she's wheeling,
She's darkened, too soon!
O! thus on my sorrow
There shone silver beams;
Alas! ere the morrow
They vanished like dreams!
My bird was the sweetest
That ever did sing,
But ah 'twas the fleetest,
And wild was its wing.
But sweeter, far sweeter
Did hope weave her lay,
And, ah me! much fleeter
She flew far away.
I've found thee, I've found thee—
My griefs would be done
If love's chain had bound thee,
And made us but one.
Then oh! do not leave me,
Or wretched I'll be—
For now what could grieve me
But parting from thee?
Her dawning smile breaks pensively;
With supplicating hands,
And sad yet soft beseeching eye
That fairy vision stands.
Jogindra's glance upon her dwelt,
As there were magic in her form;
He gazed, he sighed, he almost felt
His heart within him warm.
"But no!" he cried, for constancy
Is every charm above;
And I shall still be true to thee,
My Radhika ! my Love!"
The storm is hushed, and the moon her light
Has softly flung o'er all,
And the dark Shushan is a palace bright
With lamps on each crystal wall.
'Mid a glittering throng the sound of song
Now floats on the scented air,
As minstrel seraphs glad and young
Were waking their music there!
From heavenliest bowers they've gathered flowers,
Red roses and jasmines white;
On the wings of joy swift fly the hours,
For the night is a bridal night!
And high on a throne of azure and gold
Jogindra in princely pride
All smiling sits,—on his arm behold
Leans Radhika fair his bride!
O! love is strong, and its hopes 'twill build
Where nothing beside would dare;
O love is bright and its beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.
And youth is the time, the joyful time
When visions of bliss are before us;
But alas! when gone, in our sober prime
We sigh for the days flown o'er us.
For love and youth their hopes will build
Where nothing beside would dare;
And they both are bright, and their beams will gild
The desert, dark and bare.