ROSHANARA

With this, to the couch Whereon lay the Queen, so shaken With voices she heard And dreams she dreamt And visions she saw. To her they brought rose-petals In their hands, and musks in baskets, Perfuming her. But she was Terror-stricken still. Then with a wild clash of Tambourines they fell to An air of joyous happiness, Sweetly soared the voice, Like that of a nightingale, Of the chief maiden who Sang of the wind: “North wind and south wind, West wind and east wind, Thou shalt not moan, But blow, blow Gently on my Lady’s cheeks, blow. And thou, O great sea, Thou shalt not wail, But sweetly lull my Lady to sleep. “Red leaf and green leaf, and all ye withered leaves, Ye shall not turn the lawns into a wilderness, For my Lady is sad, And to see ye thus would make her sadder still. Great trees and small trees, Ye shall not shake and shiver When my Lady walks, But ye shall serve her as a good shade. “Great birds and small birds and all ye humming birds, Ye shall not wail mourning elegies, But shall twitter and your little throats shall quiver In an ecstasy of delight. Ye shall sing of sweet joy, Ye shall make my Lady happy. “And ye Fairies and Cherubs, Ye Queens of the Dreams, And Kings of the Shadows, Of the hidden people and the Unknown, Ye shall not approach my Lady, For her heart sinks with fright, And she trembles like a leaf That is thrown from the branches With the wind’s force. All ye unknown, be banished From my Lady, to your land Of Mystery and Heart’s Desire, To your land of Eternal Youth.” Adi K. Sett.