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The Secret of Death, From the Sanskrit; With Some Collected Poems
The Secret of Death From the Sanskrit With Some Collected Poems Author:Sir Edwin Arnold General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1885 Original Publisher: Trübner Subjects: Death in literature Fiction / Classics Literary Criticism / General Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / General Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh ... more »Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: THE CALIPH'S DRAUGHT. Upon a day in Ramadan -- When sunset brought an end of fast, And in his station every man Prepared to share the glad repast -- Sate Mohtasim in royal state, The pillaw smoked upon the gold; The fairest slave of those that wait Mohtasim's jewelled cup did hold. Of crystal carven was the cup, With turquoise set along the brim, A lid of amber closed it up; 'Twas a great king who gave it him. The slave poured sherbet to the brink, Stirred in wild honey and pomegranate, With snow and rose-leaves cooled the drink, And bore it where the Caliph sate. The Caliph's mouth was dry as bone, He swept his beard aside to quaff: -- The news-reader beneath the throne, Went droning on with ghain and kaf: -- The Caliph drew a mighty breath, Just then the reader read a word -- And Mohtasim, as grim as death, Set down the cup and snatched his sword. " Ann' amratan shureefatee ! " " Speak clear! " cries angry Mohtasim; "Fe lasr ind' ilj min ulji" -- Trembling the newsman read to him How in Ammoria, far from home, An Arab girl of noble race Waa captive to a lord of Roum; And how he smote her on the face, And how she cried, for life afraid, " Ta, Mohtasim! help, 0 my king!" And how the Kafir mocked the maid, And laughed, and spake a bitter thing, " Call louder, fool! Mohtasim's ears Are long as Barak's -- if he h...« less