"
"Nay," Hamza answered, "starved and drowned,
The curst one lies in death-like swound.
"But evil breaks the strongest gyves,
And jins like him have charmed lives.
"One beaker of the juice of grape
May call him up in living shape.
"When the red wine of Badakshan
Sparkles for thee, beware, O Khan,
"With water quench the fire within,
And drown each day thy devilkin!"
Thenceforth the great Khan shunned the cup
As Shitan's own, though offered up,
With laughing eyes and jewelled hands,
By Yarkand's maids and Samarcand's.
And, in the lofty vestibule
Of the medress of Kaush Kodul,
The students of the holy law
A golden-lettered tablet saw,
With these words, by a cunning hand,
Graved on it at the Khan's command:
"In Allah's name, to him who hath
A devil, Khan el Hamed saith,
"Wisely our Prophet cursed the vine
The fiend that loves the breath of wine,
"No prayer can slay, no marabout
Nor Meccan dervis can drive out.
"I, Khan el Hamed, know the charm
That robs him of his power to harm.
"Drown him, O Islam's child! the spell
To save thee lies in tank and well!"
1879.
Pages:
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336