“The news which I bring from the far distant place,
Is that one little knows of the other’s hard case.
“There the woman, who’s hated the child of her womb,
Out of the snake-tower can ne’er hope to come.
“There the cruel step-mother, her child who has slain,
Goes begirt with a sword fraught with festering bane.
“The merchants who here in heaps money up-rake,
There hiss in the likeness of serpent and snake.
“The Sysselmen, wretches with hearts hard as stone,
There in the snake-tower despairingly moan.”
THE RENEGADE
Now pay ye the heed that is fitting,
Whilst I sing ye the Iran adventure;
The pasha on sofa was sitting,
Midst his harem’s glorious centre.
Greek sang, and Tcherkass, for his pleasure,
And Kergoosian captive is dancing;
In the eyes of the first heaven’s azure,
In the others black Eblis is glancing.
But the pasha’s attention is failing,
O’er his visage his fair turban stealeth;
From chebouk he sleep is inhaling,
Whilst around him sweet vapours he dealeth.
What rumour without is there breeding?
Ye fair ranks asunder why wend ye?
Kyslar Aga, a strange captive leading,
Cometh forward, and crieth “Efendy.”