The Slave-Girls

Arrayed like a bride with the golden light
Of stars on her dark robe came queenly Night,
The Pleiades strung from her ear she wore,
And her hand the full moon for a mirror bore.
His youthful attendants round Yusuf stood
In the charms of their frolicsome maidenhood.
Banged in a ring round his seat they strove
To capture his heart in the snares they wove.
“ Come to me, come,” said the first, “ and I
Will give thee the sugar these lips supply.
Steal what thou wilt from my mouth, and eat,
Like a parrot, the candy, and find it sweet.”
One shot a glance from her bright eye, and, “ O
Fairer,” she said, “ than all words can show,
I mark thee with world-seeing glances ; come nigh,
And be thou the apple that shines in mine eye.”
One said, as her silk- vestured form she displayed :
“ Let thy head on this cypress be tenderly laid.
Where wilt thou look for sweet slumber, denied
If thou take not thy rest by this cypress’s side ? ”
One twisted a ring of her tress with a siglr :
“ Ah, like a ring headless and footless am I.
Open the door, to thy breast will I cling ;
Let me not hang on that door like a ring.”
One to her shoulder the loose sleeve drew,
And her rounded arm was exposed to view :
“ Let this amulet lie round thy neck to keep
The evil eye far from thy gentle sleep.”
One twisted a hair round her dainty waist :
Thus with one hair was another hair graced.
“ Oh, circle my waist with thine arm,” cried she,
“ For my soul has flown to my lips for thee.”
Thus in order each rose-lipped maid
Her snare of temptation to win him laid.
Those flowers of the garden, though fresh and bright,
Were but as weeds in his steadfast sight.
He looked on each temptress, and saw in her,
If not an idol, an idol-worshipper,
And only one wish in his heart he knew, — -
To lead them to worship where worship is due.
The faith that; was in him made strong his speech
To banish all doubt, and the truth to teach :
“ Beautiful maidens, whose charms are worth
The passionate love of the sons of earth,
Come, the path of the only true faith pursue,
And scorn low pleasures unworthy of you.
One God is above us : all those who stray
Will He guide aright to His perfect way.
He watered our clay with His mercy’s dew,
And the seed of knowledge He set there grew
Till the young plant rose from the parent root,
And bore in earth’s garden the perfect fruit.
Yes, the tree springs high from the lowly sod,
And bears fruit for those who will worship God ;
Lord of the worlds, the One God must be
Served and worshipped, and only He.
Oh come, and to Him be our worship paid ;
We are poor, indeed, if we lose His aid.
Let us bow the heads which He gave, and fall
Low on our knees to the Lord of all.
Shall the foot and the head be deemed equal ? How
Shall a sage to his fellow in worship bow ?
Will he grave for himself a fair idol, and moan
For the love of the image he carved of stone ?
Nay, he knows of what stuff the fair image is made,
He knows how the service of love would be paid.”
From the fall of night till the morning broke,
To the listening maidens thus Yusuf spoke.
Each lip sang his praise, and the penitent crowd
Their heads in obedience before him bowed.
Then he taught the true faith with his moving speech,
And the pure honey sweetened the lips of each.
Ah, blessed honey ! One drop has power
To sweeten a life till the dying hour,
For all, save the Devs, who refuse to heed,
In their blindness, the strength of the holy creed.
But no ill from their evil eye can betide
The sage who makes the true Faith his guide.
Zulaikha rose at the break of day,
And joyous to Yusuf she bent her way,
She looked on the maids as they stood round the youth,
And drank from his lips the new words of truth.
She looked on the idols, in dust o’erthrown,
And the rosary clasped, and the broken zone.
Lips praising the Lord Almighty she heard,
And saw eyes to new worship attuned and stirred.
“ Thou art from thy head to thy foot,” she cried,
“ The disturber of hearts, and their joy and pride.
A new light gleams from thy glorified brow
With a beauty I never have marked till now.
What hast thou done that this lustre and grace
Should open the door of new charms in thy face?
What drug hast thou eaten to give thee this gleam,
And raise thee o’er earth’s brightest darlings supreme?
It seems that this bevy of maidens, sweet
With their rosy lips and their silver feet,
Have combined all the gifts of their beauty and thrown
A glory upon thee to heighten thine own.
For fruit ripens fruit when the clusters hang nigh,
And most lovely are lovers when loved ones are by.”
From her rosebud mouth the gay words came fast ;
But he opened no petal : she ceased at last.
While his lips were sealed in silence there came
A rosy flush, o’er his cheek, of shame.
Abashed in spirit, he looked not round.
But kept his eyes silently bent to the ground.
Zulaikha saw that he still was stern,
And no pitying glance on her eye would turn.
She .lit in her bosom the torch of regret,
And the fire of despair to her soul she set,
With a heavy heart bade her love adieu,
And, to hide her face, to her chamber flew.