登陆注册
5419700000131

第131章

Into the city of Kambalu, By the road that leadeth to Ispahan, At the head of his dusty caravan, Laden with treasure from realms afar, Baldacca and Kelat and Kandahar, Rode the great captain Alau.

The Khan from his palace-window gazed, And saw in the thronging street beneath, In the light of the setting sun, that blazed Through the clouds of dust by the caravan raised, The flash of harness and jewelled sheath, And the shining scymitars of the guard, And the weary camels that bared their teeth, As they passed and passed through the gates unbarred Into the shade of the palace-yard.

Thus into the city of Kambalu Rode the great captain Alau;And he stood before the Khan, and said:

"The enemies of my lord are dead;

All the Kalifs of all the West Bow and obey thy least behest;The plains are dark with the mulberry-trees, The weavers are busy in Samarcand, The miners are sifting the golden sand, The divers plunging for pearls in the seas, And peace and plenty are in the land.

"Baldacca's Kalif, and he alone, Rose in revolt against thy throne:

His treasures are at thy palace-door, With the swords and the shawls and the jewels he wore;His body is dust o'er the desert blown.

"A mile outside of Baldacca's gate I left my forces to lie in wait, Concealed by forests and hillocks of sand, And forward dashed with a handful of men, To lure the old tiger from his den Into the ambush I had planned.

Ere we reached the town the alarm was spread, For we heard the sound of gongs from within;And with clash of cymbals and warlike din The gates swung wide; and we turned and fled;And the garrison sallied forth and pursued, With the gray old Kalif at their head, And above them the banner of Mohammed:

So we snared them all, and the town was subdued.

"As in at the gate we rode, behold, A tower that is called the Tower of Gold!

For there the Kalif had hidden his wealth, Heaped and hoarded and piled on high, Like sacks of wheat in a granary;And thither the miser crept by stealth To feel of the gold that gave him health, And to gaze and gloat with his hungry eye On jewels that gleamed like a glow-worm's spark, Or the eyes of a panther in the dark.

"I said to the Kalif: 'Thou art old, Thou hast no need of so much gold.

Thou shouldst not have heaped and hidden it here, Till the breath of battle was hot and near, But have sown through the land these useless hoards To spring into shining blades of swords, And keep thine honor sweet and clear.

These grains of gold are not grains of wheat;These bars of silver thou canst not eat;

These jewels and pearls and precious stones Cannot cure the aches in thy bones, Nor keep the feet of Death one hour From climbing the stairways of thy tower!'

"Then into his dungeon I locked the drone, And left him to feed there all alone In the honey-cells of his golden hive:

Never a prayer, nor a cry, nor a groan Was heard from those massive walls of stone, Nor again was the Kalif seen alive!

"When at last we unlocked the door, We found him dead upon the floor;The rings had dropped from his withered hands, His teeth were like bones in the desert sands:

Still clutching his treasure he had died;And as he lay there, he appeared A statue of gold with a silver beard, His arms outstretched as if crucified."This is the story, strange and true, That the great captain Alau Told to his brother the Tartar Khan, When he rode that day into Kambalu By the road that leadeth to Ispahan.

INTERLUDE

"I thought before your tale began,"

The Student murmured, "we should have Some legend written by Judah Rav In his Gemara of Babylon;Or something from the Gulistan,--

The tale of the Cazy of Hamadan, Or of that King of Khorasan Who saw in dreams the eyes of one That had a hundred years been dead Still moving restless in his head, Undimmed, and gleaming with the lust Of power, though all the rest was dust.

"But lo! your glittering caravan On the road that leadeth to Ispahan Hath led us farther to the East Into the regions of Cathay.

Spite of your Kalif and his gold, Pleasant has been the tale you told, And full of color; that at least No one will question or gainsay.

And yet on such a dismal day We need a merrier tale to clear The dark and heavy atmosphere.

So listen, Lordlings, while I tell, Without a preface, what befell A simple cobbler, in the year --No matter; it was long ago;

And that is all we need to know."

THE STUDENT'S TALE

THE COBBLER OF HAGENAU

I trust that somewhere and somehow You all have heard of Hagenau, A quiet, quaint, and ancient town Among the green Alsatian hills, A place of valleys, streams, and mills, Where Barbarossa's castle, brown With rust of centuries, still looks down On the broad, drowsy land below,--On shadowy forests filled with game, And the blue river winding slow Through meadows, where the hedges grow That give this little town its name.

It happened in the good old times, While yet the Master-singers filled The noisy workshop and the guild With various melodies and rhymes, That here in Hagenau there dwelt A cobbler,--one who loved debate, And, arguing from a postulate, Would say what others only felt;A man of forecast and of thrift, And of a shrewd and careful mind In this world's business, but inclined Somewhat to let the next world drift.

Hans Sachs with vast delight he read, And Regenbogen's rhymes of love, For their poetic fame had spread Even to the town of Hagenau;And some Quick Melody of the Plough, Or Double Harmony of the Dove, Was always running in his head.

He kept, moreover, at his side, Among his leathers and his tools, Reynard the Fox, the Ship of Fools, Or Eulenspiegel, open wide;With these he was much edified:

He thought them wiser than the Schools.

His good wife, full of godly fear, Liked not these worldly themes to hear;The Psalter was her book of songs;

The only music to her ear Was that which to the Church belongs, When the loud choir on Sunday chanted, And the two angels carved in wood, That by the windy organ stood, Blew on their trumpets loud and clear, And all the echoes, far and near, Gibbered as if the church were haunted.

同类推荐
  • 双节堂庸训

    双节堂庸训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 观心诵经法记

    观心诵经法记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 论气

    论气

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Day of the Confederacy

    The Day of the Confederacy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 进高僧传表

    进高僧传表

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我和末世有个约会

    我和末世有个约会

    莫名其妙穿越到丧尸横行的平行世界,养养狗,再被丧尸养成。本以为这是一个穿越女在末世养成与被养成的简单故事,结果……什么?人类都只是外星人吃腻了的食物?而丧尸是外星人喜爱的新食物,地球未来的新主人?这太不科学了!
  • 总裁老公,乖乖听话!

    总裁老公,乖乖听话!

    【全本完】“我怀孕了。”肚子里悄然萌发的种子,让她成功扼杀了他的爱情。结婚六年,他冷漠疏离,对她和儿子视若无睹。对她而言却是暖,是爱,是希望……“昨天我和雨桐在一起。”他残忍的开口,也许目的只为逼她主动离婚,却在看到她平静的眸子时,莫名不悦。“喔。”淡的不能再淡的回应,擦身而过,指甲深入肉里……一个月后“雨桐怀孕了,我们的孩子。”她看着他的喜悦,心如刀绞。“司徒慎,结婚六年,你……有没有爱过我?”她平静的听着,覆在腹部上的手轻轻颤抖,那里曾也有一条新的生命。当他最终选择曾经的爱,而她流失掉孩子,岁月始终换不来真心,她只觉得凉如夏夜雪。终于选择了放手:“好吧,我同意离婚。”
  • 诸脉主病诗

    诸脉主病诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 我真的不想太强大

    我真的不想太强大

    为了活的更久,张岳只能变得越来越厉害,可他也没办法,他真的没有选择!
  • 双面娇妻

    双面娇妻

    她和他本是天生敌对。没有那场变故,他们或许永远失之交臂。她和她本是没有血缘的姐妹,却因为一场阴谋,成为生死敌对。她和他是青梅竹马,可是最终,他却害自己面目全非。一场阴谋毁了她的容,却成全了她和他。让原本的错失变成了相濡以沫。仇恨面前,幸福却又太单薄。究竟是放下一切爱,还是用他去搏?
  • 燕对录

    燕对录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 探险记系列1

    探险记系列1

    深入神秘的地下世界----洞穴探险;与浮冰和冰山博弈——北极探险;向“未知的大陆”进军——南极探险;浩瀚宇宙,我们只不过是沧海一粟。对未知世界的探索,对神秘所在的探险,依然是一个历久弥新的话题。
  • 海贼王之速度既力量

    海贼王之速度既力量

    重生到海贼王的世界,以为一辈子做一个平凡的人,没想到祸从天降,海贼袭来,失去了唯一的爷爷。从今往后他强行改变了自己,变成了一个复仇者,为了结束这个大海贼时代的复仇者。
  • 校草校霸都爱我

    校草校霸都爱我

    光天化日之下我被一个不认识的帅哥拉着狂奔,还被他强吻……喂!混蛋,再被本小姐看到,决不饶你!本以为这次之后再不相见,不料他竟是我新转入学校的无敌大校草,而且我还跟他成了同桌?开什么国际大玩笑,冷酷校草接招吧!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • REZANOV

    REZANOV

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。