Leila; or, The siege of Granada: and Calderon, the courtier . vanished, and in a few moments afterwards,glancing through the fairy pillars, and by the glitter-ing waterfalls, came the small and twinkling feet ofthe maids of Araby. As, with their transparenttunics and white arms, they gleamed, without anecho, through that cool and voluptuous chamber, theymight well have seemed the Peris of the eastern magic,summoned to beguile the sated leisure of a youthfulSolomon. With them came a maiden of more ex-quisite beauty, though smaller stature, than the rest,bearing the light Moorish lute; and a fai
Leila; or, The siege of Granada: and Calderon, the courtier . vanished, and in a few moments afterwards,glancing through the fairy pillars, and by the glitter-ing waterfalls, came the small and twinkling feet ofthe maids of Araby. As, with their transparenttunics and white arms, they gleamed, without anecho, through that cool and voluptuous chamber, theymight well have seemed the Peris of the eastern magic,summoned to beguile the sated leisure of a youthfulSolomon. With them came a maiden of more ex-quisite beauty, though smaller stature, than the rest,bearing the light Moorish lute; and a faint andlanguid smile broke over the beautiful face of Boabdil,as his eyes rested upon her graceful form, and thedark yet glowing lustre of her oriental alone approached the king, timidly kissed hishand, and then, joining her comrades, commencedthe following song, to the air and very words of whichthe feet of the dancing-girls kept time, while, withthe chorus, rang the silver bells of the musical instru-ment which each of the danceis - UeaJjivs. THE KING WITHIN HIS PALACE. 11 ^mines ^ong. Softly, oh, softly glide, Gentle Music, thou silver tide, Bearing, the lulld air along, This leaf from the Rose of Song ! To its port in his soul let it float,The frail, but the fragrant boat,—Bear it soft Air along! II. With the burthen of Sound we are the bells on the trees of Aden, *When they thrill with a tinkling toneAt the Wind from the Holy , as we move aroundWe shake off the buds of Sound ; —Thy presence, Belovd, is Aden ! III. Sweet chime that I hear and wake :I would, for my lovd ones sake,That I were a sound like thee,To the depths of his heart to flee. If my breath had his senses blest; If my voice in his heart could rest;What pleasure to die like thee ! * The Mahometans believe that musical bells hang on the trees ofParadise, and are put in motion by a wind from the throne of God. 12 THE KING WITHIN HIS PALACE. The music ceased ; t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidleilaorsiegeofgr00lytt, booksubjectgranad
