Clarel — Part 4 — Canto 26

In adolescence thrilled by hopeWhich fain would verify the gleamAnd find if destiny concur,How dwells upon life's horoseopeYouth, always an astrologer, 5Forecasting happiness the dream!

Slumber interred them; but not all,For so it chanced that Clarel's cellWas shared by one who did repelThe poppy. 'Twas a prodigal, 10Yet pilgrim too in casual way,And seen within the grots that day,But only seen, no more than that.In years he might be Clarel's mate.Not talkative, he half reclined 15In revery of dreamful kind;Or might the fable, the romanceBe tempered by experience?For ruling under spell serene,A light precocity is seen. 20That mobile face, voluptuous airNo Northern origin declare,But Southern--where the nations bright,The costumed nations, circled beIn garland round a tideless sea 25Eternal in its fresh delight.Nor less he owned the common day;His avocation naught, in sooth--A toy of Mammon; but the rayAnd fair aureola of youth 30

Deific makes the prosiest clay.From revery now by Clarel wonHe brief his story entered on:A native of the banks of RhoneHe traveled for a Lyons house 35Which dealt in bales luxurious;Detained by chance at Jaffa gray,Rather than let ripe hours decay,He'd run o'er, in a freak of fun,Green Sharon to Jerusalem, 40And thence, not far, to Bethlehem.Thy silvery voice, irreverent one!'Twas musical; and Clarel said:"Greatly I err, or thou art heWho singing along the hill-side sped 45At fall of night.""And heard you me?'Twas sentimental, to be sure:A little Spanish overture,A Tombez air, which months ago 50A young Peruvian let flow.Locked friends we were; he's gone home now."To Clarel 'twas a novel styleAnd novel nature; and awhileMutely he dwelt upon him here. 55Earnest to know how the most drear

Solemnity of Judah's gladeAffect might such a mind, he saidSomething to purpose; but he shied.One essay more; whereat he cried: 60"Amigo! favored lads there are,Born under such a lucky star,They weigh not things too curious, see,Albeit conforming to their timeAnd usages thereof, and clime: 65Well, mine's that happy family."The student faltered--felt annoy:Absorbed in problems ill-defined,Am I too curious in my mind;

And, baffled in the vain employ, 70Foregoing many an easy joy?That thought he hurried from; and soUnmindful in perturbed estateOf that light intimation late,He said: "On hills of dead Judaoa 75Wherever one may faring go,He dreams--Fit place to set the bierOf Jacob, brought from Egypt's mead:Here's Atad's threshing-floor.""Indeed? " 80Scarce audible was that in tone;Nor Clarel heard it, but went on:"'Tis Jephthah's daughter holds the hight;She, she's the muse here.--But, I pray,Confess toJudah's mournful sway." 85He held his peace. "You grant the blight?""No Boulevards." "Do other landsShow equal ravage you've beheld?""Oh, yes," and eyed his emeraldIn ring. "But here a God commands, 90A judgment dooms: you that gainsay?"Up looked he quick, then turned away,And with a shrug that gave mute signThat here the theme he would decline.But Clarel urged. As in despair 95The other turned--invoked the air:"Was it in such talk, Don Rovenna,We dealt in Seville, I and you?No! chat of love-wile and duennaAnd saya-manto in Peru. 100Ah, good Limeno, dear amigo,What times were ours, the holidays flew;Life, life a revel and clear allegro;But home thou'rt gone; pity, but true!"At burst so lyrical, yet given 105Not all without some mock in leaven,Once more did Clarel puzzled sit;But rallying in spite of it,

Continued: "Surely now, 'tis clearThat in the aspect of Judaea--" 110"My friend, it is just naught to me!Why, why so pertinacious be?Refrain!" Here, turning light away,As quitting so the theme: "How gayDamascus! orchard of a town: 115Not yet she's heard the tidings though.""Tidings?""Tidings of long ago:Isaiah's dark burden, malison:Of course, to be perpetual fate: 120Bat, serpent, screech-owl, and all that.But truth is, grace and pleasure there,In Abana and Pharpar's streams(O shady haunts! O sherbert-air!)So twine the place in odorous dreams, 125How may she think to mope and moan,The news not yet being got to townThat she's a ruin! Oh, 'tis pity,For she, she is earth's senior city!--Pray, who was he, that man of state 130Whose footman at Elisha's gateLoud rapped? The name has slipped. Howe'er,That Damascene maintained it well:'We've better streams than Israel,

Yea, fairer waters.' " Weetless here 135Clarel betrayed half cleric tone:"Naaman, you mean. Poor leper one,'Twas Jordan healed him. ""As you please."And hereupon the Lyonese-- 140(Capricious, or inferring lateThat he had yielded up his stateTo priggish inroad) gave mute sign'Twere well to end."But Palestine, 145Insisted Clarel, "do you notConcede some strangeness to her lot?"

"Amigo, how you persecute!You all but tempt one to refuteThese stale megrims. You of the West, 150What devil has your hearts possessed,You can't enjoy?--Ah, dear Rovenna,With talk of donna and duenna,You came too from that hemisphere,But freighted with quite other cheer: 155No pedant, no!" Then, changing free,Laughed with a light audacity:"Well, me for one, dameJudah hereDon't much depress: she's not austere--Nature has lodged her in good zone-- 160The true wine-zone of Noah: the CapeYields no such bounty of the grape.Hence took King Herod festal tone;Else why the tavern-cluster giltHang out before that fane he built 165The second temple?" Catching thusA buoyant frolic impetus,He bowled along: "Herewith agreesThe ducat of the Maccabees,Graved with the vine. Methinks I see 170The spies from Eshcol, full of gleeTrip back to camp with clusters swungFrom jolting pole on shoulders hung:'Cheer up, 'twill do; it needs befit;Lo ye, behold the fruit of it!' 175And, tell me, does not Solomon's harp(Oh, that it should have taken warpIn end!) confirm the festa? Hear:'Thy white neck is like ivory;I feed among thy lilies, dear: 180Stay me with flagons, comfort meWith apples; thee would I enclose!Thy twin breasts are as two young roes.' "

Clarel protested, yet as onePart lamed in candor; and took tone 185

In formal wise: "Nay, pardon me,But you misdeem it: Solomon's SongIs allegoric--needs must be.""Proof, proof, pray, if'tis not too long.""Why, Saint Bernard " 190"Who? Sir Bernard?Never that knight for me left card!""No, Saint Bernard, 'twas he of oldThe Song's hid import first unrolled--Confirmed in every after age: 195The chapter-headings on the pageOf modern Bibles (in that Song)Attest his rendering, and prolong:A mystic burden.""Eh? so too 200The Bonzes Hafiz' rhyme construeWhich lauds the grape of Shiraz. See,They cant that in his frolic fireSome bed-rid fakir would aspireIn foggy symbols. Me, oh me!-- 205What stuff of Levite and Divine!Come, look at straight things more in line,Blue eyes or black, which like you best?Your Bella Donna, how's she dressed?"'Twas very plain this sprightly youth 210Little suspected the grave truth

That he, with whom he thus made free,A student was, a student lateOf reverend theology:Nor Clarel was displeased thereat. 215The other now: "There is no tressCan thrall one like a Jewess's.A Hebrew husband, Hebrew-wed,Is wondrous faithful, it is said;Which needs be true; for, I suppose, 220As bees are loyal to the rose,So men to beauty. Of his girls,On which did the brown Indian king,Ahasuerus, shower his pearls?

Why, Esther: Judah wore the ring. 225And Nero, captain of the world,His arm about aJewess curled--Bright spouse, Poppaea. And with good willSome Christian monarchs share the thrill,In palace kneeling low before 230CrownedJudah, like those nobs of yore.These Hebrew witches! well-a-dayOfJeremiah what reck they?"

Clarel looked down: was he depressed?The prodigal resumed: "Earth's best, 235Earth's loveliest portrait, daintiestReveals Judaean grace and form:Urbino's ducal mistress fair--Ay, Titian's Venus, golden-warm.Her lineage languishes in air 240Mysterious as the unfathomed sea:That grave, deep Hebrew coquetry!Thereby Bathsheba David wonIn bath a purposed bait!--Have done!--Blushing? The cuticle's but thin! 245Blushing? yet you my mind would win.Priests make a goblin of theJew:Shares he not flesh with me--with you?"What wind was this? And yet it swayedEven Clarel's cypress. He delayed 250All comment, gazing at him there.Then first he marked the clustering hairWhich on the bright and shapely browAt middle part grew slantly low:Rich, tumbled, chestnut hood of curls 255Like to a Polynesian girl's,Who, inland eloping with her lover,The deacon-magistrates recover--With sermon and black bread reproveWho fed on berries and on love. 260So young (thought Clarel) yet so knowing;With much of dubious at the heart,Yet winsome in the outward showing;With whom, with what, hast thou thy part?In flaw upon the student's dream 265A wafture of suspicion stirred:He spake: "The Hebrew, it would seem,You study much; you have averredMore than most Gentiles well may gleanIn voyaging mere from scene to scene 270Of shifting traffic." IrksomenessHere vexed the other's light address;But, ease assuming, gay he said:"Oh, in my wanderings, why, I've met,Among all kinds, Hebrews well-read, 275And some nor dull nor bigot-bred;Yes, I pick up, nor all forget."So saying, and as to be ridOf further prosing, he undidHis vesture, turned him, smoothed his cot: 280"Late, late; needs sleep, though sleep's a sot.""A word," cried Clarel: "bear with me:Just nothing strange at all you seeTouching the Hebrews and their lot?"Recumbent here: "Why, yes, they share 285That oddity the Gypsies heir:About them why not make ado?The Parsees are an odd tribe too;Dispersed, no country, and yet hold

By immemorial rites, we're told. 290Amigo, do not scourge me on;Put up, put up your monkish thong!Pray, pardon now; by peep of sunTake horse I must. Good night, with song:

"Lights of Shushan, if your urn 295Mellow shed the opal ray,To delude one--damsels, turn,Wherefore tarry? why betray?

Drop your garlands and away!Leave me, phantoms that but feign; 300Sting me not with inklings vain!

"But, if magic none prevail,Mocking in untrue romance;Let your Paradise exhaleOdors; and enlink the dance; 305And, ye rosy feet, advanceTill ye meet morn's ruddy HoursUnabashed in Shushan's bowers!"

No more: they slept. A spell came downAnd Clarel dreamed, and seemed to stand 310Betwixt a Shushan and a sandThe Lyonese was lord of one,The desert did the Tuscan own,The pale pure monk. A zephyr fanned;It vanished, and he felt the strain 315Of clasping arms which would detainHis heart from such ascetic range.He woke; 'twas day; he was alone,The Lyonese being up and gone:Vital he knew organic change, 320Or felt, at least, that change was working--A subtle innovator lurking.He rose, arrayed himself, and wonThe roof to take the dawn's fresh air,And heard a ditty, and looked down. 325Who singing rode so debonair?His cell-mate, flexible young blade,Mounted in rear of cavalcadeJust from the gate, in rythmic waySwitching a light malacca gay: 330

"Rules, who rules?Fools the wise, makes wise the fools--Every ruling overrules?Who the dame that keeps the house,

Provides the diet, and oh, so quiet, 335Brings all to pass, the slyest mouse?Tell, tell it me:Signora Nature, who but she!"