Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Africa: Vol. XXIV. 1876–79. | | | | Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia: Nile, the River | | The Delta of the Nile | | Nicholas Michell (1807–1880) |
| | (From Ruins of Many Lands)
THE STREAM that late turned busy towns to isles | |
| Hath curbed its flood: again the landscape smiles; | |
| The meads are full of flowers, the groves of birds, | |
| Through blooming clover stray the lowing herds; | |
| High waves the flax, the yellow lupin blows, | 5 |
| Mid bright green leaves the ripening melon glows. | |
| The fellah, clad in blue loose-floating vest, | |
| Sings as he toils, with rude contentment blest. | |
| But chief from Delta’s gardens Zephyr brings | |
| Luxurious sweetness on his balmy wings; | 10 |
| For there her head the golden lily rears, | |
| The soft-eyed violet sheds her odorous tears, | |
| While the red rose unfolds his musky breast, | |
| And wooes the hovering sylph to fragrant rest. | |
| The bright kingfisher skims the level stream, | 15 |
| His wings of purple glittering in the beam; | |
| And when the sun goes down o’er Damiat’s vales, | |
| Burst into song a myriad nightingales. | |
| Beauty in every form that meets the eye, | |
| Freshness on earth, and splendor in the sky, | 20 |
| Man’s spirit scarce for Eden’s bowers might pine, | |
| While scenes like these around him live and shine; | |
| Land of hoar tombs! dark home of Pharaoh’s race! | |
| Thou ’rt old in all things save sweet Nature’s face. | | | | |
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