The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-27
alashrille alniOn.
sRM. CAMERON 4 CO., Publishers.
From il.e AllaaIIc Monillly iaf June.
The kalif Of Baldacea.
sv 81 lo<ofkilsR.

~ p. y. AD&DfEIfs9H.
Into the city Of Knmbalu,
ny the rad that leadeth TO Ispaban.
Al the head Of his dusty caravan,
Lsden with treasure from realms aiar,
Baldacea and Keiat and Kandabar,
Rode the great captain Alau.
The Khan from his palace window gazed
lie saw Ia che iiIronging street beneath,
Dr. the light Of he setting sun, liiat biazed,
Through the elouls pf dat - the cazasan.
raised,
The fash % harness and jewelled sheath,
Aud the shining scimiiors Of the guard,
Aud the wesry cameis that barred their teeth,
A. they rassed and passed through the gates
unbarred
Into The shade Of the palacs-yard.
Thus into the city Of Kambalu
Rode n e great captain Alan;
and b stood before the Khan. and said.-
o. Tie eneniics 81 my lord are desd
All the Kalifs d all the West
Bow and obey his least behesl;
The plainsare dark with tie mulberry trees,
The weayers are busy in Samarcand,
The miners are sitting the golden sand,
Thedivers are plunging for pearls in the seas,
And peace and plenty are IN the land.
g 0nIy Baldasea's Kalif alone
Rose in rebellion against thy throne
HIS treasures are az thy palace-d door,
With the swords and the shawls and the
iaweis be wore
HIS btdy is dust DER the Desert blown.
81 A mile outside Of Baldaeca's gate
left my forces 10 lie in wait,
Concealed by forests and hillocks Of sand,
n l. -
10 lure The old tiger from bis den
Into the ambush had planned.
Ere we reached the iowh the alarm. vas
spread,
For We heard The sound Of gongs from
within
With clash Of cyfabais and warlike din
The gates swung wide we turned and fed,
And the garrison aallied forth and pursued,
With the gray Old Kali al their head,
And above them fhe banner Of Mnhomed
Thus we shared them all, and the town was
subdued.
" As in at the gate we rode, behold,
4 tower that was called the Tower u Gold {
Tor the Kalif bad hidden his wealth,
Heaped and boarded and piled on high.
Like sacks Of wheat in n granafy
And there the old miscr crept by stealth
10 feel Of the gold that gave him health,
To gaze and gl0at with his hungry eye
b ON jewels that CLEANED like 8 glow-worm's
spark,
Or the eyes Of q panther IN the dark.
/" said 10 the Kalif,-rThou ART old.
Thou hast no need Of So much gold.
Thou shouldstnO have hoaped and hidden
i here,
Til the breath Of battle was hot and near,
Bat have sown through the land these
useless boards
To spring into shining blades Of swords,
And keep thine honor sweet and clear.
These grains Of gold are not gratas Of wheat;
These bars Of silver thou canst not eat;
These jewels and pearls and precious stones
Cannot cure the aches in thy bones,
Eor keep the feet OF Death one hour
From climbing the stairwsys Of thy tower
o" Then into his dungeon ] locked the drone,
And left him to feed there all alone
In the honey-cells Of his golden hive:
Never prayer, nor cry, nor a groan
Was heard from those massive walls Of stone,
Nor again was the Kalif seen alivel
" When at last we unlocked the door,
We found him dead upon the door;
The rings had dropped from his Agiihered
His teeth were like bones in the Desert
sands
Still clntching his treasures he had died
And As he lay there, he appeared
A statue of gold with a silver beard,
His arms 0utstretched as If crucilied.
This il the storys atraage and true,
That tho great captain Alan
Told 70 lns brother the Tartar Khan.
When he rode that day into Kambalu
BY the read that leadeth 10 Ispahan