She sate upon her Dobie, To watch the Evening Star, And all the Punkahs as they passed, Cried, "My! how fair you are!" Around her bower, with quivering leaves, The tall Kamsamahs grew, And Kitmutgars in wild festoons Hung down from Tchokis blue. Below her home the river rolled With soft meloobious sound, Where golden-finned Chuprassies swam, In myriads circling round. Above, on tallest trees remote Green Ayahs perched alone, And all night long the Mussak moaned Its melancholy tone. And where the purple Nullahs threw Their branches far and wide, -- And silvery Goreewallahs flew In silence, side by side, -- The little Bheesties' twittering cry Rose on the flagrant air, And oft the angry Jampan howled Deep in his hateful lair. She sate upon her Dobie, -- She heard the Nimmak hum, -- When all at once a cry arose, -- "The Cummerbund is come!' In vain she fled: -- with open jaws The angry monster followed, And so (before assistance came) The Lady Fair was swollowed. They sought in vain for even a bone Respectfully to bury, -- They said, -- "Hers was a dreadful fate!' (And Echo answered "Very'.) They nailed her Dobie to the wall, Where last her form was seen, And underneath they wrote these words, In yellow, blue, and green: -- Beware, ye Fair! Ye Fair, beware! Nor sit out late at night, -- Lest horrid Cummerbunds should come, And swollow you outright. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES [OR, DOMINIONS] by WILLIAM WATSON SONNET: A PREACHER by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH THE BALLAD OF ORISKANY by OBADIAH CYRUS AURINGER THE AWAKENING OF THE TREES by WILLIAM ROSE BENET GRACE BEFORE MEAT by ROBERT BURNS THE DEATH AND DYING WORDS OF POOR MAILIE by ROBERT BURNS HOW ONE WINTER CAME IN THE LAKE REGION by WILLIAM WILFRED CAMPBELL |