1854.] On tlie Ballads and Legends oftlie Punjab. 139 



Morn never flush' d Cashmera's lake, with richer, rosier dye, 

 When myriad flowers from sleep awake with her in bloom to vie. 

 The cheek's bright calm a dimple breaks, a whirlpool, sweet and lone, 

 Where giddy love his helm forsakes, resistless hurried down. 

 The lips half smiling, trembling play, bliss thrills Eussaloo's frame, 

 When in a murmur, sweet as they, he hears her breathe his name. 

 Then, with a sudden, deep drawn sigh awoke the slumbering maid, 

 And languid op'd the curtain'd eye, and keen amaze betray'd, 

 For statue-like before her stood the form her dreams portray' d, 

 His azure armor stain' d with blood, his surcoat rent and fray'd ; 

 The warblade propp'd his better hand, the turban's sable hue 

 O'er features stern and forehead grand, a shadowy potence threw, 

 From which the high arch'd falcon eye, had gaz'd death's terrors down, 

 Its soul of radiance, calm and high, concentred on her own. 

 The slayer of her mighty race, the man of fate and fear, 

 In all his godlike strength and grace ; her proud heart's Lord stood 



near. [keen, 



Then first, the maiden terror knew; — then first, shame's anguish 

 And rising half, around her drew the envious silken screen. 

 And on her mighty brother call'd, 'then conscious of his plight 

 Behears'd the spell, whose sound appall' d each shadowy friend of 



night. 

 Trembled the stable earth beneath, the massive walls around, 

 The surly thunders spent their breath to thrill that dreadful sound ; 

 The granite roof took form and life, and 'mid the starry choir 

 Huge tower' d the giant, arm'd for strife, red roll'd his eye of fire ; 

 But bent Eussaloo's mighty bow (28) and ere th' upheav'd rock 

 Can fall, transpierc'd that cliff-like brow : he stagger' d to the shock. 

 He nodded, bow'd, with hideous roar, plung'd from the starry height : 

 His fall, the prince imperils more, than all his living might ; 

 But anxious for the maid alone o'er her Bussaloo bends, 

 To buy her safety with his own, his sheltering might extends. 

 No mother o'er her first-born child e'er hung with tenderer care, 

 When rav'd the tempest, bleak and wild, 'mid forked fire-bolts glare. 



As rushing from the starry sky th' enormous ruin fell, 

 Earth's frame beneath, heaven's vault on high dread chaos claim' d to 

 quell, 



