And still with overwhelming din
The tambours and the trumpets sound;

And clap of hand, and shouts, and cries,
From all the multitude arise:

While round and round, in giddy wheel,
Intoxicate they roll and reel,

Till one by one whirl'd in they fall,
And the devouring flames have swallowed all.

Then all was still; the drums and clarions ceas'd; The multitude were hush'd in silent awe;

Only the roaring of the flames was heard.

II.

THE CURSE,

Alone towards the Table of the dead,

Kehama mov'd; there on the altar-stone Honey and rice he spread.

There with collected voice and painful tone He call'd upon his son.

Lo! Arvalan appears.

Only Kehama's powerful eye beheld

The thin etherial spirit hovering nigh;

Only the Rajah's ear

Receiv'd his feeble breath.

And is this all? the mournful Spirit said,

This all that thou canst give me after death?

A

This unavailing pomp,

These empty pageantries that mock the dead!

In bitterness the Rajah heard,

And groan'd, and smote his breast, and o'er his face Cowl'd the white mourning vest,

ARVALAN.

Art thou not powerful, even like a God?

And must I, through my years of wandering,
Shivering and naked to the elements,

In wretchedness await

The hour of Yamen's wrath?

I thought thou wouldst embody me anew,

Undying as I am,...

Yea, re-create me! Father, is this all!

...

This all! and thou Almighty!

But in that wrongful and upbraiding tone,
Kehama found relief,

For rising anger half supprest his grief.

Reproach not me! he cried,

Had I not spell-secur'd thee from disease,

Fire, sword,... all common accidents of man, ... And thou!...fool, fool... to perish by a stake! And by a peasant's arm!...

Even now, when from reluctant Heaven, Forcing new gifts and mightier attributes, So soon I should have quell'd the Death-God's power.

Waste not thy wrath on me, quoth Arvalan,
It was my hour of folly! Fate prevail'd,
Nor boots it to reproach me that I fell.

I am in misery, Father! Other souls
Predoom'd to Indra's Heaven, enjoy the dawn
Of bliss,... to them the tempered elements
Minister joy: genial delight the sun
Sheds on their happy being, and the stars
Effuse on them benignant influences;

And thus o'er earth and air they roam at will,
And when the number of their days is full,
Go fearlessly before the awful throne.

But I,...all naked feeling and raw life,...

What worse than this hath Yamen's hell in store?

If ever thou didst love me, mercy, Father!
Save me, for thou canst save:... the Elements

Know and obey thy voice.

KEHAMA.

The Elements

Shall torture thee no more; even while I speak
Already dost thou feel their power is gone.
Fear not! I cannot call again the past,

Fate hath made that its own; but Fate shall yield
To me the future; and thy doom be fix'd

By mine, not Yamen's will. Meantime all power
Whereof thy feeble spirit can be made
Participant, I give. Is there aught else
To mitigate thy lot?

ARVALAN.

Only the sight of vengeance. Give me that!

Vengeance, full worthy vengeance!... not the stroke Of sudden punishment,... no agony