CHAP. XLIII.
 
CONTINUATION OF
 
The History of Jehaundar Shaw.

THE happy Jehaundar, when he beheld the world thus confused, retired to the winter apartments of the palace with his beloved, uttering the following strain:

VERSE.
Is the rose gone, say, With all my heart, let her go! let her go with willingness, and bring me wine clear as rose-water.
Tho’ the gurgle of the dove no longer is heard, I care not, so that I hear the gur­gling of the wine.

Undisturbed by care, he awaited the return of fair weather to revisit his coun­try, and gladden the hearts of his long-deserted family and friends. The sultaun entertained him with a variety of amuse­ments, and winter passed away lightly as the spring.

When the golden-crowned monarch, the sun, who is ruler of the nine regions of the heavens, having finished his con­quests over the kingdoms of the south, had exalted his standard of light in the glorious mansion of Aries, at the piercing sound of the drums of his justice, the rebellious and merciless bands of winter were stricken with panic, and fled with precipitance to the dens of annihilation. The entrusted with the administration of spring, having engaged in spreading the carpets of consolation for the starved natives of the groves, sounded high the trumpets of redress throughout the plains of the world.

The glorious sentence, (“Behold how the earth revives after death!”*) was displayed in wonderful characters upon the soil. The omnipotent Artist pre­pared in the variegated manufactory of March, thousands of silken and brocaded robes for the trees and plants. The kingly rose, in the delightful area of the garden, having again ascended his throne of emerald-like foliage, cast the shade of protection on the nussereen and nusserun, and the cupbearer of the clouds of bounty, having filled the goblets of the tulip with refreshing liquid in the varie­gated assembly of the parterres, cleared the senses of time from care.

The nobut* of congratulation sounded among the hills in peals of thunder, and the kootba* chaunters of the gar­den, having ascended the enamelled pul­pit of the branches, uttered the praises of the sovereign of spring, whose treasurers, the zephyrs, showered gold and silver upon the harmonious songsters of the grove.*

The northwest breeze, in order to regale the senses of time, collected a mixture of odours from the branches of the sunbul and bedemusk, sweet as the ood and ambergris.

The trees, which by the plun­dering hand of winter had been robbed of their cloathing, were again arrayed in vesture glossy as sattin and brocade from the repositories of the bounty of spring. The breeze of the noroze* waved the fan of refreshment over the newly-born flowers, as they issued from the embryo of concealment on the bed of existence; and the gale of spring expanded the shrunken hearts of the flower-buds with sensations of delight.

The earth, having thrown off her snowy mantle, became arrayed in robes of silken verdure, and vied in splendour with the azure sky. The gardens were filled with parti-coloured assemblages in green and scarlet, more glorious than the attendants of Jumshede and Feredoon. The zephyr, in order to shew his elegant fancy in attiring, dispersed the surface of the waters in curly waves; and the streams, liberated from confinement by the influence of the sun, ran to relate the story of their late imprisonment to the cypress and entwining sosun. Herds of antelopes bounded over hill and dale in mazy dances; while the sulsul, the sauz, the sauje, and the sharok,* in joyous con­cert, lifted high the melodious harmony of delight.

VERSE.
The world with pleasure expanded like the rose; the brides of time were adorned with jewels.
Flowers filled in rows the garden and the grove, and the morning breeze waved on every parterre.
The shukkauik made the rock an idol temple; the western breeze opened the tresses of the bunnuffsheh.
From the blossoms of the zummeer, in every recess of the garden, a lamp seemed to glow on the head of each flower.
Joining in concert on the topmost boughs of the hummir, was heard the strain of the bulbul, and the coo of the turtle-dove.
The blue-robed bunnuffsheh and soul-tortured tulip, drawing aside the veil of the rose, bid her welcome.
The ukkaub soared aloft in air, and the tudderoos mingled in the groves with coquetish coyness.
The chukkawuk sang congratulations at noon, and the suffeer recited the praises of the new year.
In every corner a pair of birds, sitting close together, invited the flowers to enjoy­ment.
The melody of the sauz, and the strain of the bulbul, fascinated the tulip and the rose to distraction.
The gowuzzun and the ghore, in every thicket skipped, exulting in the love of their mates.
Like the eye of a lover, the dropping clouds shed tears of gladness on the rejoicing carth.
On every branch hung moist pearls, and from every spring ran lucid streams.
The blossoms on the bough of every tree shone transparent as the aspect of the vir­tuous.