Clarel — Part 2 — Canto 13

"King, who betwixt the cross and swordOn ashes died in cowl and cord--In desert died; and, if thy heartBetrayed thee not, from life didst partA martyr for thy martyred Lord; 5Anointed one and undefiled--O warrior manful, tho' a childIn simple faith--St. Louis! rise,

And teach us out of holy eyesWhence came thy trust." 10

So Rolfe, and shrank,Awed by that region dread and great;Thence led to take to heart the fateOf one who tried in such a blank,Believed--and died. 15Lurching was seenAn Arab tall, on camel lean,Up laboring from a glen's remove,His long lance upright fixed aboveThe gun across the knee in guard. 20So rocks in hollow trough of seaA wreck with one gaunt mast, and yardDisplaced and slanting toward the lee.Closer he drew; with visage mute,Austere in passing made salute. 25Such courtesy may vikings lendWho through the dreary Hecla wend.Under gun, lance, and scabbard hackedPressed Nehemiah; with adoHigh he reached up an Arab tract 30From the low ass--"Christ's gift to you!"With clatter of the steel he boreThe lofty nomad bent him o'erIn grave regard. The camel too

Her crane-like neck swerved round to view; 35Nor more to camel than to manInserutable the ciphers ran.But wonted unto arid cheer,The beast, misjudging, snapped it upAnd would have munched, but let it drop; 40Her master, poling down his spearTransfixed the page and brought it near,Nor stayed his travel.On they wentThrough solitudes, till made intent 45

By small sharp shots which stirred reboundIn echo. Over upland drearOn tract of less obstructed groundCame fairly into open sightA mounted train in tulip plight: 50Ten Turks, whereof advanced rode four,With leveled pistols, left and rightGraceful diverging, as in plumeFeather from feather. So brave roomThey make for turning toward each shore 55Ambiguous in nooks of blight,Discharging shots; then reunite,And, with obeisance bland, adoreTheir prince, a fair youth, who, behind--'Tween favorites of equal age, 60Brilliant in paynim equipageWith Eastern dignity how sweet,Nods to their homage, pleased to mindTheir gallant curvets. Still they meet,Salute and wheel, and him precede, 65As in a pleasure-park or mead.

The escorts join; and some would takeTo parley, as is wont. The Druze,Howbeit, hardly seems to chooseThe first advances here to make; 70Nor does he shun. Alert is seenOne in voluminous turban green,Beneath which in that barren placeSheltered he looks as by the graceOf shady palm-tuft. Vernal he 75In sacerdotal chivalry:That turban by its hue declaresThat the great Prophet's blood he shares:Kept as the desert stallions be,'Tis an attested pedigree. 80But ah, the bigot, he could lowerIn mosque on the intrusive Giaour.To make him truculent for creedFamily-pride joined personal greed.

Tho' foremost here his word he vents-- 85Officious in the conference,In rank and sway he ranged, in sooth,Behind that fine sultanic youthWhich held his place apart, and, cool,In lapse or latency of rule 90Seemed mindless of the halting trainAnd pilgrims there of FranquestanOr land of Franks. Remiss he woreAn indolent look superior.His grade might justify the air: 95The viceroy of Damascus' heir.His father's jurisdiction sweepsFrom Lebanon to Ammon's steeps.Return he makes from mission farTo independent tribes of war 100Beyond the Hauran. In advanceOf the main escort, gun and lance,He aims for Salem back.This learned,In anxiousness the banker yearned 105To join; nor Glaucon seemed averse.'Twas quick resolved, and soon arrangedThrough fair diplomacy of purseAnd Eastern compliments exchanged.

Their wine, in pannier of the mule, 110Upon the pilgrims they bestow:"And pledge us, friends, in valley cool,If such this doleful road may know:Farewell!" And so the Moslem trainReceived these Christians, happy twain. 115

They fled. And thou? The way is dun;Why further follow the Emir's son?Scarce yet the thought may well engageTo lure thee thro' these leafless bowersThat little avails a pilgrimage 120Whose road but winds among the flowers.Part here, then, would ye win releaseFrom ampler dearth; part, and in peace.

Nay, part like Glaucon, part with song:The note receding dies along: 125

"Tarry never thereWhere the airLends a lone Hadean spell--Where the ruin and the wreckVine and ivy never deck, 130And wizard wan and sibyl dwell:There, oh, beware!

"Rather seek the grove--Thither rove,Where the leaf that falls to ground 135In a violet upsprings,And the oracle that singsIs the bird above the mound:There, tarry there!"