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| GARDEN of Shushan! | |
| After Eden, all terrace, pool, and flower recollect thee: | |
| Ye weavers in saffron and haze and Tyrian purple, | |
| Tell yet what range in color wakes the eye; | |
| Sorcerer, release the dreams born here when | 5 |
| Drowsy, shifting palm-shade enspells the brain; | |
| And sound! ye with harp and flute ne’er essay | |
| Before these star-noted birds escaped from paradise awhile to | |
| Stir all dark, and dear, and passionate desire, till mine | |
| Arms go out to be mocked by the softly kissing body of the wind— | 10 |
| Slave, send Vashti to her King! | |
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| The fiery wattles of the sun startle into flame | |
| The marbled towers of Shushan: | |
| So at each day’s wane, two peers—the one in | |
| Heaven, the other on earth—welcome with their | 15 |
| Splendor the peerless beauty of the Queen. | |
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| Cushioned at the Queen’s feet and upon her knee | |
| Finding glory for mine head,—still, nearly shamed | |
| Am I, the King, to bend and kiss with sharp | |
| Breath the olive-pink of sandaled toes between; | 20 |
| Or lift me high to the magnet of a gaze, dusky, | |
| Like the pool when but the moon-ray strikes to its depth; | |
| Or closer press to crush a grape ’gainst lips redder | |
| Than the grape, a rose in the night of her hair; | |
| Then—Sharon’s Rose in my arms. | 25 |
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| And I am hard to force the petals wide; | |
| And you are fast to suffer and be sad. | |
| Is any prophet come to teach a new thing | |
| Now in a more apt time? | |
| Have him ’maze how you say love is sacrament; | 30 |
| How says Vashti, love is both bread and wine; | |
| How to the altar may not come to break and drink, | |
| Hulky flesh nor fleshly spirit! | |
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| I, thy lord, like not manna for meat as a Judahn; | |
| I, thy master, drink, and red wine, plenty, and when | 35 |
| I thirst. Eat meat, and full, when I hunger. | |
| I, thy King, teach you and leave you, when I list. | |
| No woman in all Persia sets out strange action | |
| To confuse Persia’s lord— | |
| Love is but desire and thy purpose fulfillment; | 40 |
| I, thy King, so say! | |
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