New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-05
LOVE A La TURQUE
Translated trom Coppee,s La Tote do Ia sultan.


Their aga on the mouth. and shut himself
Al Broussa, In tho walls Of his harim.
Then swff, to anger was the soldicry:
soon muiiny with sibIlaut hiss and boot
Tbat S s so a% sb 0 S aSo sns terrible
Tho rebel soldiers thronged before the wall.
Drowned by the blaze OF centuries OF suns
That cast such scorn upon them, far within
Deep In the shady GOODNESS OF n bower
Whore scarce at noon a sunbeam sllmmered. lay
LollIng on cushions. an eHcminate wretch
fsS1 Sy sl Sn s rss Fp Has 's s@asa gill;
diad tinmphed over all his old dDsiTs
Mahnoud the second Careless Of his fame.
Would hcnceforh live for nothing but delight
o. sensual caSc, and his guitar IN hand; .,o.
SwcIis to the Hood so swclcd their rcbel wrath
Shame on tho lechcrous bastard shame. shame
Their angry murmurs rise on every s!do,
IAko the loud brzzinG OF the summer fics.
Is in their thoughts. Blood, give US blood the
cry
we want rrd war and battle. Othman's sword
Has rustcd in tho srabhard; Does he think
To fatcn Ms on rice and flesh FOR noughr!
Icc ah t , 4a .G TT@d draw % pay pay s Snopf
And not the slave OF woman's wanton eyes
1T hin come out. for We must speak with him.
open Ic This this Instant iSt % or wc bnrs, It IN
The sultan! ITo. the sultan Have him outs
Thus with ccuchcd hand and mutnOus shout the
Nathess the massive golden studded door
Within It's Moorish arch remains fast shut,
And stu fast shut is the seraglo.
n, At last Khal Pssha the Chg a .2dr si''r
~ all the cOur1erS burst approach the door
OF that harm and call his masters name.
knocks without cease and viii not he denied.
Stretched on a broad dvan. lu1ufou'ly,
An egrrtt" cleaning mid his turhan folds.
In his most secret chamber where perfumes
on golden tripods steam, he found Mahmoud.
soft and volGptuous DER HIS favoritrs lutte
LII~ n"ry"lees fingers idly wandering strayed;
Now cause OF such dlsloyalty to him,
Lay at hts feet upon a lions hide.
With scarce vcf To screen her ivory limbs
Except The masses Of her raven hair.
with deep obcISancc and submissive hand
TS mS SsH 81 said dpsS the king
" Ill hOsrn IS the tim" 10 come unbd
And trouble me In this my privacy:
For my sultana's eyes are wOndrouS fair.
And l was telling DER her matchlrss charms
In verses Hafzs self need not di,dain.'
by Allah; noble son Of great Murad'
Answered Khalll. " worse chosen IS the time
For amorous dalliancc and for poesy.
Thy rebel troops will burst the palace gates!
SIN them. o master with thy ronquortng eye
show thyseli by thy presence call them back
Thy win bcthInk them of their homage due:
But thou must show thysch, or be undon"'
,;r@ycly the old man spoke, but all the while
Who. with shyncss that did but enhance
Her beauty. hid herself behind her lori.
piiafinc eye, blue as the violcis ar.
Her soft ,hrai pressed regardless Of the smart
Against hi, caftan's rough embroidery.
Crustcd with rubics upon cloth OF gold
Gentle as lambs I'll make these mutneos.'
The 10y" and honor of my janis;artes
Thd PS wiSh 7" sec aS IL their santhst is Well,
Then. reckoning to The Nubian chamberlain.
To Diem. who tastes each dish before his lord.
Who lIckS the very store on which to spread
His lords Irayrr-carpct, gently he unwOund.
with all lovers amorous tenderness.
Her arms around him lovingly cntwinci
And TWO words whispered In the negro's ear
Then followed By his gray bearded vizier.
Win stern ard gloomy majesty that seemed
Too proud even Ia hear the distant roar.
straight tn the dangers front he passes down
The porphyry stair, whose stone wrought balustrade
Was writhrd about with DRAGONS confident
In his great self and all-suficing word.
A roar Of voccs. To- the heavy gate
IIae turned upon It's Hinges, and displays,
Res plendent in the sunsets misty gold,
A sea Of color Mahm5ud stood erect,
The arrhways shadow framed his jeweIled form.
On him ten thousand flashing eyes were fixed,
And myriad VOICES Joined IN one acclaim.
Full cautiously khtlll. the Old vizer.
Coming u little after took his place
Erhind them gOOmily. and I'm his hand
Wa something hidden IN a leathorn sack
Three pac"s to the front thc sultan strobe
And stood upon the threshold, looking round
on tie base herd that roarN! and secthed below,
with such dsdain that SRA Eht the human It'd"
What would ye?7
At his word the muttnccr(
Fcli ali tirIr hCl. TOWN iuNOlCrCc fade away.
bead Nilrlc" fen upon them tor "A spacc
AEan. his voice no" vibrating wIh wrath,
" hat would ye:" asks the padishah.
NJ length
4 veteran soldier tried I'm many a fight,
bearing three puniarl- s7lrd IN his sash,
Irainc'l IN tho wars If Eaialct Pa>hs
stepped from among the foremost Of III" crowd.
N,,D t,rsl Tho, SIII, II her hn
."%on'mandcr Of rIc fat1fnl' he began,
Head of Islam. both body and soul I" thee
We all belong f,r'ver. We demand
Nothing; our wages are enough; We hopo
S,iior the Oldest OF thy fathers guard
Who under him, not without honor fought
lskaIde" beg, IluuyaiI and DIakul.
To sIoah the truth In all sincerity
Commander Of the faithful. thou art loved,
All M h ~" INV pSorlS S swept by passion gst,
II is brcau,e they hear that thou art sunk
In wautunne~s AMI soft cemlnacy,
III, rumor but lander Mount Thy s,ecd;
rn, on ty warrior harness once a s5on ,non
In t,rercc or in Alfania' cast them of,
And ,hey shall >,oop and bring thee hack the prey
And herr speak for all thy lan!NsareA
As true | AIN Muslin and lialSL'
rut for mime honorable scars ere now
nv h.l.d had spilled d., blood npoh these stones
Exclaimed Mahmouh. = T I, true then, they believe
icklc mob, 10 think a woman's kiss
Had ,appcd the courage Of this dauntlcss hearr.
And We believed IL too, . Lcrd OF fools,
soldiers VITO vauut and wranclc sc beloved
III, uuu Icticrcl In d Hover wned band
Good Ic shah see III" E!arh llS talois leave
Yc dare accuse me, Sultan. mo. mani,
Me upur earth the visible image OF God!
&c sons If dogs. take my reply. BeholdH
III, spoke IN clarion TONES and rs he ceased
lie plunged his hand. the white hand OF RING,
Ir.tn the sack Of leather offered him
liy Diem, TIE cuEuch. knc"ltng. lhen he drew
si,r,culy and braudi>h at the staring crowd
A GL,,dy head lust severed from the trunk
II wa, the violet eyed suianaS head,
Which I'm his foul abUmlna5!c sack
The ,b.Iirnt cunuch brought ~ him still warm.
Cmt In the nrck-GOne from tho throat across,
fellow tho massc, Of the raven hair,
blood soaked whers tOycd lIttic while ago
Wabmoud, soft nald the white hand Of a king,
~ Jrra,i,,l head, st;ll seeming half alive,
no cyr, d,late with fear and lips drawn back,
ban yled IN his firm grasp. Ho held Il up
"a hnIc,nIs durr, sp.ttcd the marbles white.
a S,r A moments space the crowd struck dumb
stared AZ the mOnstr"us trophy which distilled
Cnccasngly great gouts OF human blood.