Half from their beds of torture they uprise, And half uproot their chains. Is there not fear in Heaven? The souls that are in bliss suspend their joy; And Brama fears, and Veeshnoo turns his face EREENIA. I have seen Indra tremble at his prayers, And at his dreadful penances turn pale. They claim and wrest from Seeva power so vast, That even Seeva's self, The Highest, cannot grant and be secure. CASYAPA. And darest thou, Ereenia, brave The Almighty Tyrant's power? FREENIA. I brave him, Father! I? CASYAPA. Darest thou brave his vengeance? - For, if not, Cast her before the Tiger in his path, EREENIA. Never! CASYAPA. Then meet his wrath! for He, even He, Hath set upon this worm his wanton foot. EREENIA. I knew her not, how wretched and how fair, When here I wafted her - poor Child of Earth, Shall I forsake thee, seeing thee so fair, CASYAPA. That must not be, For Force and Evil then would enter here; Ganges, the holy stream which cleanseth sin, Would flow from hence polluted in its springs, And they who gasp upon its banks in death, Feel no salvation. Piety, and Peace, And Wisdom, these are mine; but not the power Kehama hath assign'd, until his days Of wandering shall be number'd. EREENIA. Look! she drinks The gale of healing from the blessed Groves. She stirs, and lo! her hand Hath touch'd the Holy River in its source, Who would have shrunk if aught impure were nigh. CASYAPA. The Maiden, of a truth, is pure from sin. 5. The waters of the Holy Spring About the hand of Kailyal play; They rise, they sparkle, and they sing, Leaping where languidly she lay, As if with that rejoicing stir The Holy Spring would welcome her. The Tree of Life, which o'er her spread, Benignant bow'd its sacred head, And dropp'd its dews of healing; And her heart-blood, at every breath Recovering from the strife of death, Drew in new strength and feeling. Behold her beautiful in her repose, A life-bloom reddening now her dark-brown cheek; And lo! her eyes unclose, Dark as the depth of Ganges' spring profound, When night hangs over it; Bright as the Moon's refulgent beam, That quivers on its clear up-sparkling stream. 6. Soon she let fall her lids, As one who, from a blissful dream Fain would return to sleep, and dream again. She moves not, fearing to disturb In wonder fix'd, opening again her eye Thinking her mortal pilgrimage was past, That she had reach'd her heavenly home of rest, And these were Gods before her, Or spirits of the blest. 7. Lo! at Ereenia's voice, Which could protect her from the Almighty Man; A Ship of Heaven comes sailing down the skies. Nor when the Spirit of dead Arvalan Should persecute her here to glut his rage, To heap upon her yet more agony, And ripen more damnation for himself. EREENIA. Dead Arvalan? CASYAPA. All power to him, whereof The disimbodied spirit in its state Of weakness could be made participant, Where wouldst thou bear her? cries The ancient Sire of Gods. Straight to the Swerga, to my bower of bliss, The Glendoveer replies, To Indra's own abodes. Foe of her foe, were it alone for this Indra should guard her from his vengeance there; But if the God forbear, Unwilling yet the perilous strife to try, Or shrinking from the dreadful Rajah's might, Weak as I am, O Father, even I Stand forth in Seeva's sight. 8. Trust thou in him whate'er betide, And stand forth fearlessly! The Sire of Gods replied: All that He wills is right; and doubt not thou, Howe'er our feeble scope of sight May fail us now, His righteous will in all things must be done. My blessing be upon thee, O my son! VII. THE SWERGA. 1. THEN in the Ship of Heaven, Ereenia laid The waking, wondering Maid; The Ship of Heaven, instinct with thought, display'd Its living sail, and glides along the sky The clouds of morn along its path divide; Around the living Bark enamor'd play, Swell underneath the sail, and sing before its way. 2. That Bark, in shape, was like the furrow'd shell Wherein the Sea-Nymphs to their parent-King, On festal day, their duteous offerings bring. lts hue? - - Go watch the last green light Ere Evening yields the western sky to Night; Or fix upon the Sun thy strenuous sight Till thou hast reach'd its orb of chrysolite. The sail, from end to end display'd, Bent, like a rainbow, o'er the Maid. An Angel's head, with visual eye, Through trackless space, directs its chosen way; Nor aid of wing, nor foot, nor fin, Requires to voyage o'er the obedient sky. Smooth as the swan, when not a breeze at even Disturbs the surface of the silver stream, Through air and sunshine sails the Ship of Heaven. 3. Recumbent there the Maiden glides along How swift she feels not, though the swiftest wind Had flagg'd in flight behind. Feeling no fear; for that ethereal air For sure she deem'd her mortal part was o'er, And she was sailing to the heavenly shore; And that angelic form, who moved beside, Was some good Spirit sent to be her guide. 4. Daughter of Earth! therein thou deem'st aright; And never yet did form more beautiful, In dreams of night descending from on high, Bless the religious Virgin's gifted sight, Nor, like a vision of delight, Rise on the raptured Poet's inward eye. The immortal Youth of Heaven who floated by, Low thought, nor base desire, nor wasting care, Come, plead thyself to Indra! Words like thine Like diamond drops, ethereal waters fell From every leaf of all its ample bower. Rolling adown the steep From that aerial height, Through the deep shade of aromatic trees, Half seen, the cataracts shoot their gleams of light, And pour upon the breeze Their thousand voices; far away the roar, In medulations of delightful sound, Half heard and ever varying, floats around. Below, an ample Lake expanded lies, Blue as the o'er-arching skies; Forth issuing from that lovely Lake A thousand rivers water Paradise. Full to the brink, yet never overflowing, They cool the amorous gales, which, ever blowing, O'er their melodious surface love to stray; Then, winging back their way, Their vapors to the parent Tree repay; And ending thus where they began, And feeding thus the source from whence they came, The eternal rivers of the Swerga ran, Forever renovate, yet still the same. 10. On that ethereal lake, whose waters lie And spires and pinnacles of fire And domes of rainbow rest on fiery towers, Here, too, the Elements forever veer, Ranging around with endless interchanging; Pursued in love, and so in love pursuing, In endless revolutions here they roll; Forever their mysterious work renewing; The parts all shifting, still unchanged the whole. Even we on earth at intervals descry Gleams of the glory, streaks of flowing light, May win their purpose, rouse his slumbering Openings of heaven, and streams that flash at heart, And make him yet put forth his arm to wield The thunder, while the thunder is his own. 9. Then to the Garden of the Deity In the mid garden tower'd a giant Tree; night, In fitful splendor, through the northern sky. 11. Impatient of delay, Ereenia caught The lute of Nared, warbling on the wind, To charm him with their beauties in the dance; And when he saw the mortal Maid appear, Led by the heroic Glendoveer, A deeper trouble fill'd his countenance. What hast thou done, Ereenia, said the God, Bringing a mortal here? And while he spake, his eye was on the Maid; And yet it struck no fear; EREENIA. Hear me, O Indra! On the lower earth I found this child of man, by what mishap I know not, lying in the lap of death. Aloft I bore her to our Father's grove, Not having other thought, than when the gales Of bliss had heal'd her, upon earth again To leave its lovely daughter. Other thoughts Arose, when Casyapa declared her fate; For she is one who groans beneath the power Of the dread Rajah, terrible alike To men and Gods. His son, dead Arvalan, Arm'd with a portion, Indra, of thy power, Already wrested from thee, persecutes The Maid, the helpless one, the innocent. What, then, behoved me but to waft her here To my own Bower of Bliss? what other choice? The spirit of foul Arvalan not yet Hath power to enter here; here thou art yet Supreme, and yet the Swerga is thine own. His doubtful eye to Seeva, even as thou Dost look to him for aid. But thine own strength Should for thine own salvation be put forth; Then might the higher Powers approving see And bless the brave resolve.—Oh that my arm Could wield yon lightnings which play idly there, In inoffensive radiance, round thy head! The Swerga should not need a champion now, Nor Earth implore deliverance still in vain! INDRA. Thinkest thou I want the will? rash Son of Heaven, Down to the fiery floor of Padalon, To everlasting burnings, agony Eternal, and remorse which knows no end. That hour went by: grown impious in success, By prayer and penances he wrested now Such power from Fate, that soon, if Seeva turn not His eyes on earth, and no Avatar save, Soon will he seize the Swerga for his own, Roll on through Padalon his chariot wheels, Tear up the adamantine bolts which lock The accurs'd Asuras to its burning floor, And force the drink of Immortality From Yamen's charge. Vain were it now to strive; My thunder cannot pierce the sphere of power Wherewith, as with a girdle, he is bound. Who knows but Veesnnoo will descend and save, Saying thus, she knelt, and to his knees she clung, Once more incarnate? EREENIA. Look not there for help, Nor build on unsubstantial hope thy trust. Our Father Casyapa hath said he turns And bow'd her head, in tears and silence praying. Wilt thou tamely the Swerga resign, Or seest thou not, seest thou not, Monarch divine, Kehama his victim hath led? At noon his consummating blood will flow. That blood confirms the Almighty Tyrant's reign! Thou tremblest on high for thy power! But where is Seeva's eye? Is the Destroyer blind? Is the Preserver careless for mankind? 2. Along the mead the hallow'd Steed Still wanders whereso'er he will, O'er hill, or dale, or plain; No human hand hath trick'd that mane From which he shakes the morning dew; His mouth has never felt the rein; His lips have never froth'd the chain; For pure of blemish and of stain, His neck unbroke to mortal yoke, Like Nature free the Steed must be, Fit offering for the Immortals he. A year and day the Steed must stray Wherever chance may guide his way, Before he fall at Seeva's shrine; The year Nor touch of man hath marr'd the rite divine And now at noon the Steed must bleed, The perfect rite to-day must force the meed Which Fate reluctant shudders to bestow; Then must the Swerga-God and day have pass'd away, Yield to the Tyrant of the World below; Then must the Devetas obey The Rajah's rod, and groan beneath his hateful sway. 3. The Sun rides high; the hour is nigh; Contract their circle now, and drive him on. Drawn in long files before the Temple-court, The Rajah's archers flank an ample space; Here, moving onward still, they drive him near, Then, opening, give him way to enter here. 4. Behold him; how he starts and flings his head! On either side in glittering order spread, The archers ranged in narrowing lines appear; The multitude behind close up the rear With moon-like bend, and silently await The awful end, The rite that shall from Indra wrest his power. In front, with far-stretched walls, and many a tower, Turret, and dome, and pinnacle elate, 5. Hark! at the Golden Palaces One, two, three, four, a thrice-told chime, The bowl that in its vessel floats, anew Must fill and sink again; Then will the final stroke be due. The Sun rides high, the noon is nigh, And silently, as if spell-bound, The multitude expect the sound. 6. Lo! how the Steed, with sudden start, Turns his quick head to every part! Long files of men on every side appear. The sight might well his heart affright; And yet the silence that is here Inspires a stranger fear; For not a murmur, not a sound Of breath or motion rises round; No stir is heard in all that mighty crowd; He neighs, and from the temple-wall The voice reechoes loud, Loud and distinct, as from a hill Across a lonely vale, when all is still. |