THE GOLDEN THRESHOLD(33)

    I

    QUEEN Gulnaar sat on her ivory bed, Around her countless¹ treasures were spread；

    Her chamber² walls were richly inlaid With agate³, porphory, onyx and jade⁴；

    The tissues that veiled her delicate breast, Glowed with the hues⁵ of a lapwing's crest⁶；

    But still she gazed in her mirror and sighed "O King, my heart is unsatisfied."

    King Feroz bent⁷ from his ebony seat： "Is thy least desire unfulfilled, O Sweet？

    "Let thy mouth speak and my life be spent To clear the sky of thy discontent."

    "I tire of my beauty, I tire of this Empty splendour and shadowless bliss⁸；

    "With none to envy and none gainsay⁹, No savour or salt hath my dream or day."

    Queen Gulnaar sighed like a murmuring rose： "Give me a rival, O King Feroz."

    II

    King Feroz spoke¹⁰ to his Chief Vizier： "Lo！ ere to-morrow's dawn be here, "Send forth¹¹ my messengers over the sea, To seek seven beautiful brides for me； "Radiant of feature and regal of mien¹², Seven handmaids meet for the Persian Queen." …… Seven new moon tides at the Vesper call, King Feroz led to Queen Gulnaar's hall A young queen eyed like the morning star： "I bring thee a rival, O Queen Gulnaar." But still she gazed in her mirror and sighed： "O King, my heart is unsatisfied." Seven queens shone round her ivory bed, Like seven soft gems¹³ on a silken thread, Like seven fair lamps in a royal tower, Like seven bright petals¹⁴ of Beauty's flower Queen Gulnaar sighed like a murmuring rose "Where is my rival, O King Feroz？"

    III

    When spring winds wakened the mountain floods, And kindled¹⁵ the flame of the tulip buds, When bees grew loud and the days grew long, And the peach groves¹⁶ thrilled to the oriole's song,

    Queen Gulnaar sat on her ivory bed, Decking with jewels her exquisite¹⁷ head；

    And still she gazed in her mirror and sighed： "O King, my heart is unsatisfied."

    Queen Gulnsar's daughter two spring times old, In blue robes bordered with tassels¹⁸ of gold,

    Ran to her knee like a wildwood fay, And plucked from her hand the mirror away.

    Quickly she set on her own light curls Her mother's fillet with fringes of pearls；

    Quickly she turned with a child's caprice And pressed on the mirror a swift, glad kiss.

    Queen Gulnaar laughed like a tremulous rose： "Here is my rival, O King Feroz."