Classic Poem

But ah! what glories yon blue vault emblaze?
What living meteors from the zenith stream?
Or hath a rapturous dream
Perplex'd the isle-born bard in fiction's maze?
He wakes: he hears; he views no fancied rays;
'Tis I NDRA mounted on the sun's bright beam;
And round him revels his empyreal train:
How rich their tints! how sweet their strain!

Like shooting stars around his regal seat
A veil of many-colour'd light they weave,
That eyes unholy would of sense bereave:
Their sparkling hands and lightly-tripping feet
Tir'd gales and panting clouds behind them leave.
With love of song and sacred beauty smit
The mystic dance they knit;
Pursuing, circling, whirling, twining, leading,
Now chasing, now receding;
Till the gay pageant from the sky descends
On charm'd Sumeru, who with homage bends.

Hail, mountain of delight,
Palace of glory, bless'd by glory's king!
With prospering shade embower me, whilst I sing
Thy wonders yet unreach'd by mortal flight.
Sky-piercing mountain! in thy bowers of love
No tears are seen, save where medicinal stalks
Weep drops balsamic o'er the silver'd walks;
No plaints are heard, save where the restless dove
Of coy repulse and mild reluctance talks;
Mantled in woven gold, with gems unchas'd,
With emerald billocks grac'd,
From whose fresh laps in young fantastic mazes
Soft crystal bounds and blazes
Bathing the lithe convolvulus, that winds
Obsequious, and each flaunting arbour binds.

When sapient B RAHMA this new world approv'd,
On woody wings eight primal mountains mov'd;
But I NDRA mark'd Sumeru for his own,
And motionless was every stone.

Dazzling the moon he rears his golden head:
Nor bards inspir'd, nor heaven's all-perfect speech,
Less may unhallow'd rhyme his beauties teach,
Or paint the pavement which the' immortals tread;
Nor thought of man his awful height can reach:
Who sees it, maddens; who approaches, dies;
For, with flame-darting eyes,
Around it roll a thousand sleepless dragons;
While from their diamond flagons
The feasting gods exhaustless nectar sip,
Which glows and sparkles on each fragrant lip.

This feast in memory of the churned wave
Great I NDRA gave, when Amrit first was won
From impious demons, who to Máyà's eyes
Resign'd the prize, and rued the fight begun.

Now, while each ardent Cinnara persuades
The soft-eyed Apsara to break the dance,
And leads her loth, yet with love-beaming glance,
To banks of marjoram and champac shades,
Celestial Genii tow'rd their king advance
(So call'd by men, in heaven Gandharvas nam'd)
For matchless music fam'd.
Soon, where the bands in lucid rows assemble,
Flutes breathe, and citherns tremble;
Till C HITRARATHA sings—His painted car,
Yet unconsum'd, gleams like an orient star.

Hush'd was every breezy pinion,
Every breeze his fall suspended:
Silence reign'd; whose sole dominion
Soon was rais'd, but soon was ended.

He sings, how ‘whilom from the troubled main
The sovereign elephant Airavan sprang:
The breathing shell, that peals of conquest rang;
The parent cow, whom none implores in vain;
The milk white steed, the bow with deafening clang,
The goddesses of beauty, wealth, and wine:
Flowers, that unfading shine,
N ARAYAN'S gem, the moonlight's tender languish;
Blue venom, source of anguish;
The solemn leech, slow-moving o'er the strand,
A vase of long-sought Amrit in his hand.

‘To soften human ills dread S IVA drank
The poisonous flood, that stain'd his azure neck;
The rest thy mansions deck,
High Swerga! stor'd in many a blazing rank.

‘Thou, god of thunder! sat'st on Meru thron'd,
Cloud-riding, mountain-piercing, thousand-eyed,
With young P ULOMAJA , thy blooming bride,
Whilst air and skies thy boundless empire own'd;
Hail, D YUPETIR , dismay to B ALA'S pride!
Or speaks P URANDER , best thy martial fame,
Or Sacra , mystic name?
With various praise in odes and hallow'd story
Sweet bards shall hymn thy glory.
Thou, V ASAVA , from this unmeasur'd height
Shed'st pearl, shed'st odours o'er the sons of light!’
The genius rested; for his powerful art
Had swell'd the monarch's heart with ardour vain,
That threatened rash disdain and seem'd to low'r
On gods of loftier power and ampler reign.

He smil'd; and, warbling in a softer mode,
Sang ‘the red lightning, hail, and whelming rain,
O'er Gocul green and Vraga's nymph-lov'd plain
By I NDRA hurl'd, whose altars ne'er had glow'd,
Since infant C RISHNA rul'd the rustic train
Now thrill'd with terror—Them the heavenly child
Call'd, and with looks ambrosial smil'd,
Then with one finger rear'd the vast Goverdhen,
Beneath whose rocky burden
On pastures dry the maids and herdsmen trod:
The lord of thunder felt a mightier God!’

What furies potent modulation soothes!
E'en the dilated heart of I NDRA shrinks:
His ruffled brow he smoothes,
His lance, half-rais'd, with listless languor sinks.

A sweeter strain the sage musician chose:
He told, how ‘S ACHI , soft as morning light,
Blythe Sachi, from her lord, I NDRANI hight,
When through clear skies their car ethereal rose,
Fix'd on a garden trim her wandering sight,
Where gay pomegranates, fresh with early dew,
Vaunted their blossoms new:
“Oh! pluck, (she said) yon gems, which nature dresses
To grace my darker tresses.”
In form a shepherd's boy, a god in soul,
He hasten'd, and the blooming treasure stole.

‘The reckless peasant, who those glowing flow'rs,
Hopeful of rubied fruit, had foster'd long,
Seiz'd, and with cordage strong
Shackled the god, who gave him show'rs.
Straight from seven winds immortal Genii flew,
Green Varuna, whom foamy waves obey,
Bright Vahni, flaming like the lamp of day,
Cuvera, sought by all, enjoy'd by few,
Marut, who bids the winged breezes play,
Stern Yama, ruthless judge, and Isa cold
With Nairrit mildly bold:
They with the ruddy flash, that points his thunder,
Rend his vain bands asunder.
The' exulting god resumes his thousand eyes,
Four arms divine, and robes of changing dyes’—

Soft memory retrac'd the youthful scene;
The thunder yielded to resistless charms,
Then smil'd enamour'd on his blushing queen,
And melted in her arms.

Such was the vision, which—on Varan's breast,
Or Asi pure, with offer'd blossoms fill'd—
D WAIPAYAN slumbering saw; (thus N ARED will'd)
For waking eye such glory never bless'd,
Nor waking ear such music ever thrill'd.
It vanish'd with light sleep: he, rising, prais'd
The guarded mount high-raised,
And pray'd the thundering power, that sheafy treasures,
Mild showers and vernal pleasures,
The labouring youth in mead and vale might cheer,
And cherish'd herdsmen bless the' abundant year.

Thee, darter of the swift blue bolt! he sang;
Sprinkler of genial dews and fruitful rains
O'er hills and thirsty plains!
‘When through the waves of war thy charger sprang,
Each rock rebellow'd and each forest rang,
Till vanquish'd Asurs felt avenging pains.
Send o'er their seats the snake, that never dies,
But waft the virtuous to thy skies!’