New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE BosTAN OF sA'DI


NTH sA'pI IN THE GARDEN. BY Sir Edwin Ar
mold 16mo M OH Boston: Roberts Brothers.
In his last poem Sir Edwin Arnold has cmpioyeu
machinery almost identical with that OF " Lotos
and Jewel, company numbering an English
Sahib, Sage, and two singing and dancing Siris
hold a symposium in the garden OF the lal-M"'."i
at Agra The sage, Mira, reads aloud from 'ne
Persian poet Sadrs Bostan,' and the others
comment on the reading. while the girls at ih'ei-
walls sing amorous parabohc songs llius.ra.Ihs
the text Full scope is thus afforded Tor Or Eu-
win. Arnolds favorite poetic mothods-and alSo
foriShe exhibition of his now wel[understooo
limitations His prediction is for the blending
OF Oriental philosophy and theosophy with Orieh-
tai scnsuous imagery. In rendering the religious
doctrines of the East into sonorous and Impressive
verse, and in conveying the atmosphere and color
of Asiatic luxury and pomp, he IS Thoroughly at
home. Often too he strikes higher note ana
with s)Silful touches presents legends and scenes
the pathetic tenderness noble seli-devoton oil
which unfailngly appeal to the common sympa-
thies of the race OF such is the episode of Gull
badan and the tigress in the present volume
The story is told by Dilazar another singing girl
On a certain occasion while these comrades were
travelling they rested az fOrest-pool where some
Brahmans were refreshing themselves Now IL
must be remembered that the Bazar Girls' are
low caste and despsed as unclean, and their touch
is pollution Here goes on the narrative:
But while we tarricd there
Those highcaSte people holding far aool q.
From taint OF uS-our small brown haDa ieH
{ts mothers breast little naked MAD ,,
Two years of age. maybe, Wfiful shc cfcp.
Across the sand. and found singing GIRL
And nestled TO her heart, cooling son SOUNDS
Young birds have when they reach the wings they love-
But the childs mother soon saw what had
happened
And ran and snatched her babe away, and screamed
" Poison II not thou woman of bazaars,
with thine accnrsed lips and arms for hire
Give my babe and get thee to thy trade,
which hath good, nor grace OF chldrens love-
Presently the two girls, having passed on, ar
rive at temple and tank, TO find a great commo-
ton A Brahmans wife. it seems had laid her
sleeping baby in the temple court while she
bathed at the tank and hungry tgress had
slipped into the court
And there she couched
Watching the infant yet asleep, ~ yer
II slept in that most dreadful company. A.,
Since none could see or know nay. all we're fed
For lifcs sake only, in peepul tree.
And he was calling Haste If We wonld aid!
The beast is not yet hungered and she plays
Licking her iowiS, curling her tail; she lee 49,,
lying the babe, which doth not move. oh, hasfe""
While all stand paralvzed with fear, Gulbadan
alone retains her self-possesson and prepares to
act She says to herself:
/" The baby is my baby % the morn
NV mouth with innocent lips! See! will go
And take my friend forth from The tigers mouth,
Why. It's a singing. girl the brute viii cat.
And not that tender one, born to live pure
So ere a hand could stay her. she had drawn
The sar tight between her knees. and walked.
win those kind eyes fixed hard upon ihe beast Etc.,.
The silent child against that breast which beat
Fearless Of fearmhal reached the sep seps sgsn
That glared and sparkled. blazing rage and dread;
Her face always fIll-turned TO that fell face
f'u nod
Tor, slrs, as COD is God. The love Of it;
Which. as l do perceive. hold now your minds
] ay on that snarng. bris Ting beast Of blood,
For raj ali The savage paintings Of its strength:
And She Raj gained the porch. the outer steps.
Ere with roar as when inc thunder cracks
a black bound cloud mad 10 be free and safe
from the sweet terror Of those msSterin. eyes.
The tirrcss bounded through the ara fash
OF living lightning-pls.ed the porch. one claw
Striking the girl tearing her cho'a down:
Put oh, a skin wound only for the beast
sought quick and safe she . Ta%e n TO Us
And so the mother took her infant back,
a gift from the BaZaai-gn"
This is beautiful, but it is the best thing in
the volume. The readings of Mira from Sa'di's
Book of Love- are marked by lofty thought ex-
pressed with grace and dignity, and some of the
lyrics interspersed are melodious and full of
delicate fancy. There is, however, the feeling OF
1anguor about the poem as whole which, while /
it is no doubt true to Oriental poetry, constitutes
a barrier 70 Western appreciation NOT is olf Eu-
win Arnold free from reprOach on the Old score Of
excessive of Indian and Persian words. Such
lines the following may be cited in point
" This is the road. Rah in asst Learn of me ;"
81 Cry Shuskur thanks He IS accepted; he"
This is not poetry, but kind of rhythmcal
5argon. Sir Edwin Arnold has too much OF the
divine anlatus within him to stand in need of
such Fictitious aids: and they not only perplex
but irritatc the unearned reader, while detract-
ing from the art value of his work. Notwith-
standing shortcomings and blemshes however,
With Sa'di in the Garden" must be considered
worthy addition TO that series of poetic render
ings of Eastern thought and wisdom with which
tho name of Edwin Arnold is SO honorably asso-