Joyfully springing there He seiz'd the weapon, and with eager stroke Hew'd at the chain; the force was dealt in vain, For not as if through yielding air Past the descending scymitar, Its deaden'd way the heavy water broke; Yet it bit deep. Again, with both his hands, He wields the blade, and dealt a surer blow. The baser metal yields To that fine edge, and lo! the Glendoveer Rises and snaps the half-sever'd links, and stands Freed from his broken bands. XVII. BALY. THIS is the appointed night, Baly goes forth, that he may walk the Earth Still hymn'd and honour'd by the grateful voice Shaking their firebrands, the glad children run; Baly! great Baly! they acclaim, Where'er they run they bear the mighty name, Where'er they meet, Baly! great Baly! still their choral tongues repeat. Therefore at every door the votive flame Through pendant lanterns sheds its painted light, And rockets hissing upward through the sky, Fall like a shower of stars From Heaven's black canopy. Therefore, on yonder mountain's templed height, The brazen cauldron blazes through the night. Huge as a Ship that travels the main sea Is that capacious brass; its wick as tall As is the mast of some great admiral. Ten thousand votaries bring Camphor and ghee to feed the sacred flame; And while, through regions round, the nations see Its fiery pillar curling high in heaven, Baly! great Baly! they exclaim, For ever hallowed be his blessed name! Honour and praise to him for ever more be given! Why art not thou among the festive throng, The grateful habitants of Earth acclaim, The ringing walls and echoing towers proclaim. Still blazes to the nations as before; All things appear to human eyes the same, As perfect as of yore; To human eyes,-but how unlike to thine! Thine which were wont to see He turns away from that ungrateful sight, As if sad thoughts indulged would work their own relief. There he beholds upon the sand A lovely Maiden in the moonlight stand. Seven miserable days had Kailyal there, Nor turn her eyes one moment from the sea: Had Kailyal watch'd it so impatiently, Never so eagerly had hoped before, As now when she believed, and said, all hope was o'er. Beholding her, how beautiful she stood, In that wild solitude, Baly from his invisibility Had issued then, to know her cause of woe; She starts; for lo! where floating many a rood, A Monster, hugest of the Ocean brood, Weltering and lifeless, drifts toward the shore. Backward she starts in fear before the flood, And, when the waves retreat, They leave their hideous burthen at her feet. She ventures to approach with timid tread, Then spreading them toward the Sea, Lo! from the opening deep they rise, And to Ladurlad's arms the happy Kailyal flies. She turn'd from him, to meet, with beating heart, Now turn to me, for mine thou art! In fleshly form, he burst. Had Kailyal seen that form and face accurst, Shot with a thrill like death through all her frame, Vain is resistance now, The fiendish laugh of Lorrinite is heard; The Asuras once again appear, And seize Ladurlad and the Glendoveer. A voice exclaim'd, whose dread commands Were fear'd through all the vaults of Padalon; And there among them, in the midnight air, The presence of the mighty Baly shone. He, making manifest his mightiness, Help, help, Kehama! Father, help! he cried, To righteous punishment, and endless woe. XVIII. KEHAMA'S DESCENT. THE Earth, by Baly's feet divided, Clos'd o'er his way as to the judgement-seat He plunged and bore his prey. Scarce had the shock subsided, When, darting from the Swerga's heavenly heights, Kehama, like a thunderbolt, alights. In wrath he came, a bickering flame Flash'd from his eyes which made the moonlight dim; And passion forcing way from every limb, Like furnace-smoke, with terrors wrapt him round. Furious he smote the ground; Earth trembled underneath the dreadful stroke, He hurl'd in rage his whirling weapon down. Earth and the Swerga are thine own, Fool that he is!-in torments let him lie! That thou shouldst brave me?-kindling in his pride Ho! Yamen! hear me. God of Padalon, And let the Amreeta cup Be ready for my lips, when I anon Triumphantly shall take my seat thereon, And plant upon thy neck my royal feet. In voice like thunder thus the Rajah cried, Impending o'er the abyss, with menacing hand Put forth, as in the action of command, And eyes that darted their red anger down. Then drawing back he let the earth subside, And, as his wrath relax'd, survey'd, Thoughtful and silently, the mortal Maid. Her the while was on the farthest sky, eye Where up the ethereal height Breenia rose and past away from sight. Never had she so joyfully Beheld the coming of the Glendoveer, Dear as he was and he deserv'd to be, As now she saw him rise and disappear. Come now what will, within her heart, said she, For thou art safe, and what have I to fear? Meantime the Almighty Rajah, late In power and majesty and wrath array'd, Had laid his terrors by, And gazed upon the Maid. Pride could not quit his eye, Nor that remorseless nature from his front Depart; yet whoso had beheld him then Had felt some admiration mix'd with dread, And might have said, That sure he seem'd to be the King of Men; Less than the greatest that he could not be, Who carried in his port such might and majesty. In fear no longer for the Glendoveer, Now toward the Rajah Kailyal turn'd her eyes As if to ask what doom awaited her. But then surprise, Even as with fascination held them there, So strange a thing it seem'd to see the change Of purport in that all-commanding brow, That thoughtfully was bent upon her now. Wondering she gazed, the while her Father's eye Was fix'd upon Kehama haughtily; It spake defiance to him, high disdain, Stern patience, unsubduable by pain, And pride triumphant over agony. Ladurlad, said the Rajah, thou and I Alike have done the work of Destiny, Unknowing each to what the impulse tended; But now that over Earth and Heaven my reign Is stablish'd, and the ways of Fate are plain Before me, here our enmity is ended. I take away thy Curse-As thus he said, As if he felt through every failing limb To be the Queen of Heaven and Earth, The Amreeta-drink divine Sit on the Swerga throne, his equal bride. At that reply Kehama's darkening brow She needeth not my counsel, he replied, Of Destiny! for though all other things Were subject to the starry influencings, And bow'd submissive to thy tyranny, The virtuous heart, and resolute will are free. Thus in their wisdom did the Gods decree When they created man. Let come what will, This is our rock of strength; in every ill, Sorrow, oppression, pain, and agony, The spirit of the good is unsubdued, And, suffer as they may, they triumph still. Obstinate fools! exclaim'd the Mighty One, Fate and my pleasure must be done, And ye resist in vain! Take your fit guerdon till we meet again! So saying, his vindictive hand he flung Towards them, fill'd with curses; then on high Aloft he sprung, and vanish'd through the Sky. XIX. MOUNT CALASAY. THE Rajah, scattering curses as he rose, Soar'd to the Swerga, and resumed his throne. Not for his own redoubled agony, Which now through heart and brain, With renovated pain, groan, Rush'd to its seat, Ladurlad breathes that And joy to see the Tyrant disappear, Nor when she saw her plague, did her good heart, True to itself, even for a moment fail. Ha, Rajah! with disdainful smile she cries, Mighty and wise and wicked as thou art, Still thy blind vengeance acts a friendly part, Shall I not thank thee for this scurf and scale Of dire deformity, whose loathsomeness, Surer than panoply of strongest mail, Arms me against all foes! Oh, better so, › Better such foul disgrace, Than that this innocent face Should tempt thy wooing! That I need not dread; Nor ever impious foe Will offer outrage now, nor farther woe Will beauty draw on my unhappy head, Safe through the unholy world may Kailyal go. Her face in virtuous pride Was lifted to the skies, As him and his poor vengeance she defied; But earthward, when she ceased, she turn'd her eyes, As if she sought to hide The tear which in her own despite would rise. i Did then the thought of her own Glendoveer Call forth that natural tear? Was it a woman's fear, A thought of earthly love which troubled her? Like yon thin cloud amid the moonlight sky That flits before the wind And leaves no trace behind, The womanly pang pass'd over Kailyal's mind. This is a loathsome sight to human eye, Half-shrinking at herself, the Maiden thought, Will it be so to him? Oh surely not! The immortal Powers, who see Through the poor wrappings of mortality, Behold the soul, the beautiful soul, within, Exempt from age and wasting malady, And undeform'd, while pure and free from sin. This is a loathsome sight to human eye, But not to eyes divine, Ereenia, Son of Heaven, oh not to thine! The wrongful thought of fear, the womanly pain Had pass'd away, her heart was calm again. She raised her head, expecting now to see The Glendoveer appear; Where hath he fled, quoth she, That he should tarry now? Oh had she known Whither the adventurous Son of Heaven was flown, Strong as her spirit was, it had not borne The awful thought, nor dared to hope for his return. For he in search of Seeva's throne was gone, In search of Seeva's own abode Him who is throned beyond the reach of thought, Brama and Veeshnoo, wild with rage, contended, Before their sight In form a fiery column did he tower, Whose head above the highest height extended, And yet no base he found: Ten myriad years the aspiring Brama soar'd, Above him still the Immeasurable spread. And trembled and adored. What Brama and what Veeshno sought in vain? Ne'er did such thought of lofty daring enter Celestial Spirit's mind. O wild adventure That throne to find, for he must leave behind This World, that in the centre, Within its salt-sea girdle, lies confined; Yea, the Seven Earths,79 that, each with its own ocean, Ring clasping ring, compose the mighty round. In less than endless years, shall bear him there, To the utmost bound of the remotest spheres? Suffice to pierce the Golden Firmament Yet he hath pass'd the measureless extent, And pierced the Golden Firmament; For Faith hath given him power, and Space and Time Vanish before that energy sublime. Nor doth eternal Night, And outer Darkness, check his resolute flight; By strong desire through all he makes his way, Till Seeva's seat appears,-behold Mount Calasay! Behold the Silver Mountain! round about Seven ladders stand, so high, the aching eye, Seeking their tops in vain amid the sky, Might deem they led from earth to highest heaven. Ages would pass away, And Worlds with age decay, Ere one whose patient feet, from ring to ring Could reach the summit of Mount Calasay,80 Intensity of faith and holiest love, And he hath gain'd the plain, the sanctuary above. Lo, there the Silver Bell, That, self-sustain'd, hangs buoyant in the air! From whose four sides the bordering gems unite In one mid fount of many-colour'd light. Holding the Emblem which no tongue may tell. Is this the Heaven of Heavens, where Seeva's self doth dwell? Here first the Glendoveer Felt his wing flag, and paused upon his flight. Distinctly he beheld all things around, And doubt and wonder rose within his mind That this was all he found. Howbeit he lifted up his voice and spake. There is oppression in the World below: groans beneath the yoke; yea, in her woe, She asks if the Avenger's eye is blind? Earth Awake, O Lord, awake! Too long thy vengeance sleepeth. Holy One! Put thou thy terrors on for mercy's sake, And strike the blow, in justice to mankind! So as he prayed, intenser faith he felt, As if there should be something yet above; Or who, O Lord, hath seen thy secret throne? So saying, up he sprung, And struck the Bell, which self-suspended hung Before the mystic Rose. From side to side the silver tongue Melodious swung, and far and wide Soul-thrilling tones of heavenly music rung. Abash'd, confounded, It left the Glendoveer-yea all astounded The Rose, with all the mysteries it surrounded, The holy Hill itself, with all thereon, And, sloping down the sky Toward the spot from whence he sprung on high, Make all my fortunes plain, Thou seest his poor revenge! So having said, One look she glanced upon her leprous stain Indignantly, and shook Her head in calm disdain. Of Fate; almighty as he is, that maze Hath mock'd his fallible sight. Said he the Amreeta-cup? So far aright The Evil One may see; for Fate displays Her hidden things in part, and part conceals, Baffling the wicked eye Alike with what she hides, and what reveals, So may it be permitted him to see Where Yamen guards the Amreeta, we must go; By Yamen, by the righteous Power of Death. Forthwith the Father and the fated Maid, And that heroic Spirit, who for them Such flight had late essay'd, The will of Heaven obey'd. Many a day hath past away Since they began their arduous way, Their way of toil and pain; And now their weary feet attain The Earth's remotest bound, Where outer Ocean girds it round. But not like other Oceans this, Rather it seem'd a drear abyss, Upon whose brink they stood. |