The Bride Of Abydos Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABC DEFG H C I JKJKLLKKMM LLHHNN OOPPQ Q RRSS TUQVWWWWXXWWYYYZWZWA 2X WWAAQB2QB2 WWC2AAC2QQD2D2XXXXWW XX WWAASWWE2E2E2XXWWF2F 2G2H2WWWWI2I2 A WXWWXXXXXXQ QQ XXJ2J2CC NWCWCNK2K2L2L2M2M2 QQ XXWWCXCXXX SQQS WI2WI2QQQQ YYWWCCI2

Had we never loved so kindlyA
Had we never loved so blindlyA
Never met or never partedB
We had ne'er been broken hearted BurnsC
-
-
TO-
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD HOLLANDD
THIS TALE IS INSCRIBEDE
WITH EVERY SENTIMENT OF REGARD AND RESPECTF
BY HIS GRATEFULLY OBLIGED AND SINCERE FRIENDG
-
BYRONH
-
-
-
THE BRIDE OF ABYDOSC
-
-
-
CANTO THE FIRSTI
-
I-
-
Know ye the land where cypress and myrtleJ
Are emblems of deeds that are done in their climeK
Where the rage of the vulture the love of the turtleJ
Now melt into sorrow now madden to crimeK
Know ye the land of the cedar and vineL
Where the flowers ever blossom the beams ever shineL
Where the light wings of Zephyr oppress'd with perfumeK
Wax faint o'er the gardens of G l in her bloomK
Where the citron and olive are fairest of fruitM
And the voice of the nightingale never is muteM
Where the tints of the earth and the hues of the sky-
In colour though varied in beauty may vie-
And the purple of Ocean is deepest in dye-
Where the virgins are soft as the roses they twineL
And all save the spirit of man is divineL
'Tis the clime of the East 'tis the land of the SunH
Can he smile on such deeds as his children have doneH
Oh wild as the accents of lovers' farewellN
Are the hearts which they bear and the tales which they tellN
-
II-
-
Begirt with many a gallant slaveO
Apparell'd as becomes the braveO
Awaiting each his lord's behestP
To guide his steps or guard his restP
Old Giaffir sate in his DivanQ
Deep thought was in his aged eye-
And though the face of MussulmanQ
Not oft betrays to standers by-
The mind within well skill'd to hideR
All but unconquerable prideR
His pensive cheek and pondering browS
Did more than he wont avowS
-
III-
-
Let the chamber be clear'd The train disappear'dT
Now call me the chief of the Haram guardU
With Giaffir is none but his only sonQ
And the Nubian awaiting the sire's awardV
Haroun when all the crowd that waitW
Are pass'd beyond the outer gateW
Woe to the head whose eye beheldW
My child Zuleika's face unveil'dW
Hence lead my daughter from her towerX
Her fate is fix'd this very hourX
Yet not to her repeat my thoughtW
By me alone be duty taughtW
Pacha to hear is to obeyY
No more must slave to despot sayY
Then to the tower had ta'en his wayY
But here young Selim silence brakeZ
First lowly rendering reverence meetW
And downcast look'd and gently spakeZ
Still standing at the Pacha's feetW
For son of Moslem must expireA2
Ere dare to sit before his sireX
-
Father for fear that thou shouldst chideW
My sister or her sable guideW
Know for the fault if fault there beA
Was mine then fall thy frowns on meA
So lovelily the morning shoneQ
That let the old and weary sleepB2
I could not and to view aloneQ
The fairest scenes of land and deepB2
With none to listen and reply-
To thoughts with which my heart beat high-
Were irksome for whate'er my moodW
In sooth I love not solitudeW
I on Zuleika's slumber brokeC2
And as thou knowest that for meA
Soon turns the Haram's grating keyA
Before the guardian slaves awokeC2
We to the cypress groves had flownQ
And made earth main and heaven our ownQ
There linger'd we beguil'd too longD2
With Mejnoun's tale or Sadi's songD2
Till I who heard the deep tambourX
Beat thy Divan's approaching hourX
To thee and to my duty trueX
Warn'd by the sound to greet thee flewX
But there Zuleika wanders yetW
Nay father rage not nor forgetW
That none can pierce that secret bowerX
But those who watch the women's towerX
-
IV-
-
Son of a slave the Pacha saidW
From unbelieving mother bredW
Vain were a father's hope to seeA
Aught that beseems a man in theeA
Thou when thine arm should bend the bowS
And hurl the dart and curb the steedW
Thou Greek in soul if not in creedW
Must pore where babbling waters flowE2
And watch unfolding roses blowE2
Would that yon orb whose matin glowE2
Thy listless eyes so much admireX
Would lend thee something of his fireX
Thou who wouldst see this battlementW
By Christian cannon piecemeal rentW
Nay tamely view old Stamboul's wallF2
Before the dogs of Moscow fallF2
Nor strike one stroke for life or deathG2
Against the curs of NazarethH2
Go let thy less than woman's handW
Assume the distaff not the brandW
But Haroun to my daughter speedW
And hark of thine own head take heedW
If thus Zuleika oft takes wingI2
Thou see'st yon bow it hath a stringI2
-
VA
-
No sound from Selim's lip was heardW
At least that met old Giaffir's earX
But every frown and every wordW
Pierced keener than a Christian's swordW
Son of a slave reproach'd with fearX
Those gibes had cost another dearX
Son of a slave and who my sireX
Thus held his thoughts their dark careerX
And glances ev'n of more than ireX
Flash forth then faintly disappearX
Old Giaffir gazed upon his sonQ
And started for within his eye-
He read how much his wrath had doneQ
He saw rebellion there begunQ
Come hither boy what no reply-
I mark thee and I know thee tooX
But there be deeds thou dar'st not doX
But if thy beard had manlier lengthJ2
And if thy hand had skill and strengthJ2
I'd joy to see thee break a lanceC
Albeit against my own perchanceC
-
As sneeringly these accents fellN
On Selim's eye he fiercely gazedW
That eye return'd him glance for glanceC
And proudly to his sire's was raisedW
Till Giaffir's quail'd and shrunk askanceC
And why he felt but durst not tellN
Much I misdoubt this wayward boyK2
Will one day work me more annoyK2
I never loved him from his birthL2
And but his arm is little worthL2
And scarcely in the chase could copeM2
With timid fawn or antelopeM2
Far less would venture into strife-
Where man contends for fame and life-
I would not trust that look or toneQ
No nor the blood so near my ownQ
-
That blood he hath not heard no moreX
I'll watch him closer than beforeX
He is an Arab to my sightW
Or Christian crouching in the fightW
But hark I hear Zuleika's voiceC
Like Houris' hymn it meets mine earX
She is the offspring of my choiceC
Oh more than ev'n her mother dearX
With all to hope and nought to fearX
My Peri ever welcome hereX
Sweet as the desert fountain's wave-
To lips just cool'd in time to save-
Such to my longing sight art thouS
Nor can they waft to Mecca's shrineQ
More thanks for life than I for thineQ
Who blest thy birth and bless thee nowS
-
VI-
-
Fair as the first that fell of womankindW
When on that dread yet lovely serpent smilingI2
Whose image then was stamp'd upon her mindW
But once beguiled and evermore beguilingI2
Dazzling as that oh too transcendent visionQ
To Sorrow's phantom peopled slumber givenQ
When heart meets heart again in dreams ElysianQ
And paints the lost on Earth revived in HeavenQ
Soft as the memory of buried love-
Pure as the prayer which Childhood wafts above-
Was she the daughter of that rude old Chief-
Who met the maid with tears but not of grief-
-
Who hath not proved how feebly words essayY
To fix one spark of Beauty's heavenly rayY
Who doth not feel until his failing sightW
Faints into dimness with its own delightW
His changing cheek his sinking heart confessC
The might the majesty of LovelinessC
Such was ZuleikaI2

George Gordon Byron



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Bride Of Abydos poem by George Gordon Byron


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 10 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets