The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-13
Miscellany
Page.
QUlVIRA.

less deserts mold
The city of Quivira whose walls are
rich with gold.
Oh, gay, they rode with plume on crest
and gilded spur at heel,
With gonfalon of Aragon and banner
of CASTLE.
While High Emprise and Joyous Youth
twin marshals of the throng,
Awoke Sonora's mountain peaks with
trumpet-note and song.
Beside that brilliant army, beloved of
serf and lord,
There walked as brave soldier as
ever smote with sword,
Though naught of knightly harness
his russell gown revealed
The cross he bore as weapon, the mis-
sal was his shield.
But rugged oaths were changed to
prayers, and angry hearts grew
tame,
And fainting spirits waxed in faith
where Fray Padi1la came;
And brawny spearmen bowed their
heads to kiss the helpful hand
OF him who spake the simple truth
that brave men understand.
What pen may paint their daring
those doughty cavaliers!
The cities of the Zuni were humbled
by their spears,
Wild Arizona's barrens grew pallid in
the glow
OF blades that won Granada and con-
quered Mexico.
They Jared by lofty Acoma; their rally
call was blown
Where Colorado rushes down through
God-hewn walls of stone;
Still, North and East, where deserts
spread and treeless prairies rolled,
Fairy City lured them on with pin
nacles of gold.
Through all their weary marches tow
ard that fitting goal
They turned to Fray Padilia for aid
of heart and soul.
He bound the wounds that lance
thrust and fiinty arrow made;
He cheered the sick and failing; above
the dead he prayed
Two thousand miles of hardship behind
their banners lay.
And sadly fever, drought, and toll had
lessened their array,
When came a message fraught with
hope to all the steadfast band;
"Good tidings from the northward,
friends Quivira lies at hand!"
How joyously they spurred them!
How sadly drew the rein!
There shone no golden palace, there
blazed no jeweled fame.
Rude tents of hide Of bison, dog
guarded, met their view
A squalid Indian village; the lodges of
the Sioux!
hi 10
spake unto his men;
"Our quest is vain, true hearts of
Spain! Now ride we home again.
And would to God that 1 might give
that phantom city's pride
In ransom for the gallant souls that
here have sunk and died."
Back, back to Compostela the way
worn handful bore;
But sturdy Fray Padilla took up the
quest once more.
His soul still longed for conquest,
though not by lance and sword;
He burned to show the Heather the
pathway to the Lord.
Again he trudged the f1inty hills and
dazzling desert sands,
And few were they that walked with
him, and weaponless their hands
but anu the ITuSly IDdu-dt-dFIIlS, DO-
campo, rode him near
Like Great Heart, guarding Christians
way through wastes of Doubt and
Fear.
Where still in silken harvests the
prairie-lilies toss,
Among the dark Quiviras PadiIla
reared his cross.
Within its sacred shadow the war
riors of the Kaw
In wonder heard the Gospel of Love
and Peace and Law.
They gloried in their Brown-robed
Priest; and oft in twilight's gold
The warriors grouped, silent ring, to
hear the tale he told,
While round the gentleman-at-arms
their lithe-limbed children played
And shot their arrows at his shield and
rode his guarded blade.
When thrice the silver crescent had
filed its curving shell,
The Friar rose at dawning and spake
his flock farewell:
And if your Brothers northward be
cruel. as We say,
My Master bids me seek them-and
dare 1 answer 'Nay'?"
Again he strobe the path of thorns; but
ere the evening star
A savage cohort swept the plain il
paint and plumes of war.
Then Fray Padilla spake to them whose
hearts were most his own;
My children, bear the tidings home
let me die here alone
He knelt upon the prairie, begirt by
yelling Sioux
Forgive them, oh, my Father they
know not what they doi''
The twanging bow-strings answered
Before his eyes, unrolled
The City of Quivira whose streets arr
paved with gold.
Arthur Guiterman in Out West
RUBAlYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM.
Translated into the Christian by Eliz