Salaman and Absal · 16 of 32

XIV

First spoke The Shah;—"Salámán, Oh my Soul, "Oh Taper of the Banquet of my House, "Light of the Eyes of my Prosperity, "And making bloom the Court of Hope with Rose; "Years Rose-bud-like my own Blood I devour’d "Till in my hand I carried thee, my Rose; "Oh do not tear my Garment from my Hand, "Nor wound thy Father with a Dagger Thorn. "Years for thy sake the Crown has worn my Brow, "And Years my Foot been growing to the Throne

"Only for Thee—Oh spurn them not with Thine; "Oh turn thy Face from Dalliance unwise, "Lay not thy Heart's hand on a Minion! "For what thy Proper Pastime? Is it not "To mount and manage Rakhsh along the Field; "Not, with no stouter weapon than a Love-lock, "Idly reclining on a Silver Breast. "Go, fly thine Arrow at the Antelope "And Lion—let not me my Lion see "Slain by the Arrow eyes of a Ghazal. "Go, flash thy Steel among the Ranks of Men, "And smite the Warriors’ Necks; not, flying them, "Lay down thine own beneath a Woman's Foot. "Leave off such doing in the Name of God, "Nor bring thy Father weeping to the Ground; "Years have I held myself aloft, and all "For Thee—Oh Shame if thou prepare my Fall!"

When before Shirúeh's Feet Drencht in Blood fell Kai Khusrau, He declared this Parable— "Wretch!—There was a Branch that, waxing "Wanton o’er the Root he drank from, "At a Draught the Living Water "Drain’d wherewith Himself to crown; "Died the Root—and with it died "The Branch—and barren was brought down!"