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Green Bird of Paradise,
Thou hast not left the youth!—

With slow associate flight,
She companies his way,

And now they reach the fountain of the rock.

XV.

There, in the cold clear well,

Thalaba wash'd away his earthly stains, And bow'd his face before the Lord, And fortified his soul with prayer.

The while, upon the rock,

Stood the celestial Bird,

And, pondering all the perils he must pass, With a mild melancholy eye,

Beheld the youth belov'd.

XVI.

And lo! beneath yon lonely pine, the sledge-
And there they stand, the harness'd Dogs,
Their wide eyes watching for the youth,
Their ears erected, turn'd towards his way.

They were lean, as lean might be,
Their furrowed ribs rose prominent,
And they were black from head to foot,
Save a white line on every breast,
Curv'd like the crescent moon.
And he is seated in the sledge,
His arms are folded on his breast,
The Bird is on his knees;
There is fear in the eyes of the Dogs,
There is fear in their pitiful moan,
And now they turn their heads,
And seeing him there, away!

XVII.

The Youth, with the start of their speed,
Falls back to the bar of the sledge;
His hair floats straight in the stream of the wind,
Like the weeds in the running brook.
They wind with speed the upward way,
An icy path through rocks of ice;
His eye is at the summit now,
And thus far all is dangerless;

And now upon the height
The black Dogs pause and pant;
They turn their eyes to Thalaba,

As if to plead for pity;
They moan, and moan with fear.

XVIII.

Once more away! and now
The long descent is seen,
A long, long, narrow path.
Ice-rocks aright, and hills of snow,
Aleft the giddy precipice.
Be firm, be firm, O Thalaba!
One motion now, one bend,
And on the crags below,

Thy shatter'd flesh will harden in the frost.
Why howl the Dogs so mournfully?
And wherefore does the blood flow fast
All purple o'er their sable hair?
His arms are folded on his breast,
Nor

Scourge nor goad hath he;
No hand appears to strike,

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A wide, wide plain, all desolate,
Nor tree, nor bush, nor herb!
On go the Dogs with rapid step,
The Sledge slides after rapidly,
And now the Sun went down.
They stopt and look'd at Thalaba,
The Youth perform'd his prayer;
They knelt beside him as he pray'd,
They turn'd their heads to Mecca,
And tears ran down their cheeks.
Then down they laid them in the snow,
As close as they could lie,

They laid them down and slept,
And backward in the sledge
The Adventurer laid himself:
There peacefully slept Thalaba,
And the Green Bird of Paradise

Lay nestling in his breast.

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They sooth'd the soften'd soul. Her bill was not the beak of blood: There was a human meaning in her eye; Its mild affection fix'd on Thalaba,

Woke wonder while he gaz'd, And made her dearer for the mystery.

XXIII.

Oh joy! the signs of life appear,

The first and single Fir

That on the limits of the living world Strikes in the ice its roots.

Another, and another now; And now the Larch, that flings its arms Down-curving like the falling wave; And now the Aspin's scatter'd leaves Grey glitter on the moveless twig; The Poplar's varying verdure now, And now the Birch so beautiful,

Light as a lady's plumes.
Oh joy! the signs of life! the Deer
Hath left his slot beside the way; ́
The little Ermine now is seen
White wanderer of the snow;
And now, from yonder pines they hear
The clatter of the Grouse's wings:
And now the snowy Owl pursues
The Traveller's sledge, in hope of food;
And hark! the rosy-breasted bird,

The Throstle of sweet song!
Joy! joy! the winter-wilds are left!
Green bushes now, and greener grass,
Red thickets here, all berry-bright,
And here the lovely flowers!

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Came on his memory. The celestial Bird

Saw and renew'd her speech.

«O Thalaba, if she who in thine arms Receiv'd the dagger-blow, and died for thee, Deserve one kind remembrance,-save, O save, The Father that she lov'd, from endless death!»

XXVIII.

<< Laila! and is it thou?» the youth replied.
« What is there that I durst refuse to thee?
This is no time to harbour in my heart
One evil thought;-here I put off revenge,
The last rebellious feeling-Be it so!
God graut to me the pardon that I need,
As I do pardon him!--

But who am I, that I should save
The sinful soul alive?»

XXIX.

«Enough!» said Laila. « When the hour shall come, Remember me! my task is done. We meet again in Paradise!»

She said, and shook her wings, and up she soar'd With arrow-swiftness through the heights of Heaven.

XXX.

His aching eye pursued her path, When starting onward went the Dogs, More rapidly they hurried on,

In hope of near repose. It was the early morning yet, When, by the well-head of a brook They stopt, their journey done. The spring was clear, the water deep, A venturous man were he, and rash, That should have probed its depths,

For all its loosen'd bed below Heav'd strangely up and down, And to and fro, from side to side, It heav'd, and wav'd, and tost, And yet the depths were clear, And yet no ripple wrinkled o'er The face of that fair Well,

ΧΧΧΙ.

And on that Well, so strange and fair,
A li tle boat there lay,
Without an oar, without a sail;
One only seat it had, one seat,
As if for only Thalaba.
And at the helm a Damsel stood,
A Damsel bright and bold of eye,
Yet did a maiden modesty
Adorn her fearless brow.
Her face was sorrowful, but sure
More beautiful for sorrow.

To her the Dogs look'd wistful up, And then their tongues were loos'd, « Have we done well, O Mistress dear! And shall our sufferings end?»

XXXII.

The gentle Damsel made reply, « Poor Servants of the God I serve, When all this witchery is destroy'd, Your woes will end with mine.

A hope, alas! how long unknown!
This new adventurer gives:
Now, God forbid, that he, like you,
Should perish for his fears!
Poor Servants of the God I serve,
Wait ye the event in peace.»

A deep and totai slumber as she spake
Seiz'd them. Sleep on, poor sufferers! be at rest!
Ye wake no more to anguish ;—ye have borne
The Chosen, the Destroyer!-soon his hand
Shall strike the efficient blow;

Soon shaking off your penal forms, shall ye, With songs of joy, amid the Eden groves, Hymn the Deliverer's praise!

XXXIII.

Then did the Damsel say to Thalaba,
«The morn is young, the Sun is fair,
And pleasantly, through pleasant banks,

The quiet brook flows on -
Wilt thou embark with me?
Thou knowest not the water's way,

Think, Stranger, well! and night must come,-
Wilt thou embark with me?
Through fearful perils thou must pass,—-
Stranger, the wretched ask thine aid!

Thou wilt embark with me!»

She smil'd in tears upon the youth!—
What heart were his, who could gainsay

That melancholy smile?

<«Sail on, sail on,» quoth Thalaba,
«Sail on, in Allah's name!»

XXXIV.

He sate him on the single seat, The little boat mov'd on. Through pleasant banks the quiet brook Went winding pleasantly;

By fragrant fir-groves now it past,
And now, through alder-shores,
Through green and fertile meadows now
It silently ran by.

The flag-flower blossom'd on its side,
The willow tresses wav'd,
The flowing current furrow'd round
The water-lily's floating leaf,
The fly of green and gauzy wing,
Fell sporting down its course,
And grateful to the voyager

The freshness of the running stream,
The murmur round the prow.
The little boat falls rapidly
Adown the rapid brook.

XXXV.

But many a silent spring meantime, And many a rivulet and rill Had swold the growing brook; And when the southern Sun began To wind the downward way of heaven, It ran a river deep and wide, 6 Through banks that widen'd still. Then once again the Damsel spake, « The stream is strong, the river broad,

Wilt thou go on with me?

The day is fair, but night must come

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The little boat rides rapidly,

And now with shorter toss it heaves
Upon the heavier swell;

And now so near, they see
The shelves and shadows of the cliff,

And the low-lurking rocks,

O'er whose black summits, hidden half,
The shivering billows burst;-

And nearer now they feel the breaker's spray.
Then spake the Damsel, «Yonder is our path
Beneath the cavern arch.

Now is the ebb, and till the ocean-flow,
We cannot over-ride the rocks.
Go thou, and on the shore

Perform thy last ablutions, and with prayer Strengthen thy heart—I too have need to pray.»>

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THEN Thalaba drew off Abdaldar's ring, And cast it in the sea, and cried aloud, <«<Thou art my shield, my trust, my hope, O God! Behold and guard me now,

Thou who alone canst save.

If, from my childhood up, I have look'd on
With exultation to my destiny;

If, in the hour of anguish, I have felt,
The justice of the hand that chasten'd me;
If, of all selfish passions purified,

I go to work thy will, and from the world
Root up the ill-doing race,
Lord! let not thou the weakness of my arm
Make vain the enterprise !»

II.

The Sun was rising all magnificent,
Ocean and heaven rejoicing in his beams.
And now had Thalaba

Perform'd his last ablutions, and he stood
And gaz'd upon the little boat
Riding the billows near,
Where, like a sea-bird breasting the broad waves,
It rose and fell upon the surge:
Till, from the glitterance of the sunny main,
He turn'd his aching eyes,

And then upon the beach he laid him down,

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VII.

Stranger,» quoth she, « in years long past
Was one who vow'd himself

The Champion of the Lord, like thee,
Against the race of Hell.

Young was he, as thyself,

Gentle, and yet so brave!
A lion-hearted man.

Shame on me, Stranger! in the arms of love
I held him from his calling, till the hour
Was past;
and then the Angel who should else
Have crown'd him with his glory-wreath,
Smote him in anger-Years and years are gone-
And in his place of penance he awaits
Thee, the Deliverer, surely thou art he!
It was my righteous punishment,
In the same youth unchanged,
And love unchangeable,

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