In the Palace

Zulaikha opened her hand and decked
Che finished work of the Architect.
Tissue of gold on the floor was strown,
And its beauty enhanced with a golden throne.
Jewelled lamps on the walls were hung,
And odorous herbs were beneath them flung.
She gathered together all tilings most fair,
And unrolled the carpet of pleasure there.
But amid the charms of the sumptuous hall
She longed only for Yusuf, far dearer than all.
A heavenly palace is dark and dim
To a lover whose darling is far from him.
She would summon Yusuf, once more they would meet :
She would set him high on a princely seat,
She would woo his beauty and win success
With her tender guile and her soft caress,
Or feed on his lips and beguile her care
With the tangled locks of the rebel’s hair.
But to conquer his heart she would add a grace
To her peerless form and her perfect face.
Her beauty needed no art, and yet
A current stamp by its aid was set.
The rose of the garden is fair to view,
But lovelier still with her pearls of dew.
She freshened the tint of her roses and spread
A livelier hue where a bud was dead.
She darkened the line of her eyebrows, so
To curve the new moon to a full rainbow.
Her hair, like the musk of China, which fell
In long black tresses she braided well,
And the pink of her delicate neck between
The coils that hung over her shoulders was seen.
She prepared the spell of her witching eye,
And darkened the lid with the jetty dye.
She set here and there a dark spot on her cheek,
And these were the words that her looks would speak :
“ Thy face is so fair, love, that I at the view
Consume, heart and soul, like the seeds of the rue.”
Her fingers deftly with henna she stained,
That his heart thereby might be caught and detained ;
But a painter coloured her palm with care,
For with this a picture she hoped to snare.
The jujube’s tint, on her filberts spread,
Spoke of tears of blood that her eyes had shed.
The fair new moon of each delicate nail,
Came full into sight from the shrouding veil,
That the new moon of bliss might at length appear
And announce that the feast of her joy was near.
Beside her cheek was an earring-set,
And a moon and a star in conjunction met.
Ah, might that meeting herself unite
With the moon of the Faith, the wide world’s delight I
Across her bosom, like sweet flowers grown
To perfect beauty, a scarf was thrown.
Then she drew on a delicate smock, and her skin
Filled with roses the folds of the jessamine,
Which looked to the eye like a stream that flows
Over a garden of tulip and rose,
A wondrous stream, of fine silver made,
Where two fishes at rest on two arms were laid.
On each wrist a fair bracelet shone to enfold
Each glittering fish with a collar of gold.
So by her cheek and her hand was it shown
That her charms from the moon to the Fish were known.
Next the lady her form arrayed
In precious tissue of China brocade.
She shone so bright in that robe, Chinese
To her as an idol had bent their knees.
On her jet-black gamer of hair was set.
Of pearl and gold mingled, a coronet.
No peacock, proud of his jewelled plumes,
Could move more bright through the splendid rooms.
She reckoned on conquest, for who could withstand
The charms seen in the mirror she held in her hand ?
Those charms she assayed, and the mirror told
That the beauty she trusted was current gold.
As she thought of her treasures her joy rose high,
And nothing was wanting save one to buy.
She .sent her maidens and bade them call
Yusuf to visit her new-built hall.
He came, bright, noble, and mild, like the sun
And the moon and Mercury joined in one.
No mixture of clay made his nature base,
And light, all light, were his brow and face.
One glance from that eye, and the world is aglow :
He speaks, and all nations his utterance know.
Zulaikha saw, and the flame rose high,
Like the spark that falls where the reeds are dry.
“ Purest of creatures, thou lamp to guide
The eyes of those who see best,” she cried.
“ O servant faithful and prompt to obey,
High favour and grace should thy care repay.
Thy dutiful love I can never forget,
And my glory and pride is my collar of debt,
Come, and to-day will I labour to show
Some slight return for the debt I owe :
Nay, long in the record of time shall live
The meed I bestow and the thanks I give.”
With gentle charm and resistless sway
To the first of the chambers she led the way.
Soon as the door of pure gold he passed,
With the lock of iron she closed it fast.
The door she closed, but the secret nursed
Deep in her heart from her lips outburst.
Thus she addressed him : “ O thou, the whole
Wish and desire of my hungry soul,
Thy vision appeared in my dreams and beguiled
The sleep from mine eyes when I yet was a child.
That vision brought frenzy and anguish to dwell
For ever with me : I loved thee so well
Ere yet I had seen thee, to find thee here
I came from my country and all that was dear.
A helpless exile I sate and grieved,
And no sweet comfort my woes relieved.
After long pain I was blest to behold
Thy face ; but hope fled, for thine eye was cold.
Look on me no longer with eyes so stern :
Oh, one word of love, one word, in return ! ”
He bent his head as he answered : “ Thou
To whose bidding a hundred high princes bow,
Eelease me from this sore burthen of woe,
And freedom of heart on thy slave bestow.
Dear lady, longer I would not be
In this curtained chamber alone with'thee,
Eor thou art a flame, and the wool is dry :
The wind art thou and the musk am I.
Is the wool secure when the flame burns fast ?
Should the musk be left to the boisterous blast ?”
His eager words to the winds she threw :
To the second chamber the boy she drew.
Again she fastened the door : again
The heart of Yusuf was rent with pain.
She lifted the veil of the days gone by
And poured out her grief with a bitter cry :
“ How long wilt thou scorn me, Oh ! thou more sweet
Than my soul, and rebel when I fall at thy feet ?
I lavished my treasure to buy thee, I gave
My faith and my prudence to make thee my slave.
For I hoped in my heart that, pledged to obey,
Thou wouldst be my comfort and joy and stay.
But no order I give thee wilt thou fulfil,
And thou seekest each path save the path of my will.”
“ Sin is not obedience,” he answered ; “ shame
AVer may be linked with true duty’s name.
Each act defying the Master’s law
Is in true service a breach and flaw;
And never mine be the power or will
To break ITis law by a deed so ill.”
Onward from chamber to chamber they strayed,
And in each for a little their steps delayed,
Hew arts of temptation in each she plied,
In each new magic and charms were tried.
Through six of the rooms she had led him, still
She won not the game though she played with skill.
Only the seventh was left: therein
Lay her strongest hope that at last she might win.
In this way was nothing of dark despair,
For black to her eyes seemed white and fair.
If no hope from a hundred doors appears,
Eat not thy heart nor give way to tears.
For yet one door thou mayst open and see
A way to the place where thou fain wouldst be.