Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ROMANCERO: BOOK 1. HISTORIES: THE WHITE ELEPHANT, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ROMANCERO: BOOK 1. HISTORIES: THE WHITE ELEPHANT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Great mahawasant, of siam the king
Last Line: Was by way of suez, and overland.
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; Elephants; India; Poetry & Poets; Royal Court Life; Royalty; Kings; Queens


GREAT Mahawasant, of Siam the King,
Has half of India under his wing;
Twelve kings, with the Great Mogul, obey
His rule, and acknowledge his sovereign sway.

Each year with banner, trumpet, and drum
To Siam the trains with the tribute come;
Many thousand camels, with backs piled high
With the costliest treasures of earth, draw nigh.

When the camels he sees with their heavy piles,
The soul of the King in secret smiles;
But in public in truth he always deplores
That his storehouses serve not to hold all his stores.

Yet these storehouses all are so lofty and spacious,
So full of magnificence, so capacious,
The reality's splendour surpasses in glory
The Arabian Nights' most wondrous story.

The "Castle of Indra" call they the hall
In which are display'd the deities all,
The golden images, chisell'd with care,
And all incrusted with jewels so fair.

Full thirty thousand their numbers are,
Their ugliness passes description far;
A compound of men and animals dread,
With many a hand and many a head.

In the "Hall of purple" one wond'ringly sees
Some thirteen hundred coral trees,
As big as palms, a singular sight,
With spiral branches, a forest bright.

The floor of purest crystal is made,
And all the trees are in it display'd,
While pheasants of glittering plumage gay
Strut up and down in a dignified way.

The ape on which the monarch doth dote
A ribbon of silk wears round his throat,
Whence hangs the key that opens the hall
Which people the "Chamber of Slumber" call.

All kinds of jewels of value high
All over the ground here scatter'd lie
Like common peas, with diamonds rare
That in size with the egg of a fowl compare.

On sacks that stuff'd with pearls appear
The Monarch is wont to stretch himself here.
The ape lies down by the monarch proud,
And both of them slumber and snore aloud.

But the King's most precious, costly treasure,
His happiness, his soul's first pleasure,
The joy and the pride of Mahawasant
Is truly his snow-white elephant.

As a home for a guest so highly respected
A splendid palace the King has erected;
Gay lotos-headed columns uphold
Its roof, all cover'd with plates of gold.

Three hundred heralds stand at the gate,
As the elephant's guard of honour to wait;
And kneeling down with low-bent back
There serve him a hundred eunuchs black.

For his proboscis the daintiest meat
On golden dishes they bring him to eat;
From silver buckets he drinks his wine,
Well season'd with spices sweet and fine.

With perfumes they rub him, and otto of roses
On his head a chaplet of flowers reposes,
The richest shawls that are made in the East
As carpets serve for the dignified beast.

The happiest life appears to be his,
But no one on earth contented is;
The noble creature, -- one cannot tell why, --
Gives way to a deep despondency.

The melancholy monster white
Is wretched, all this profusion despite;
They fain would enliven and cheer him again,
But all their cleverest efforts are vain.

In vain with singing and springing there come
The bayaderes; the kettle drum
And cornet in vain the musicians play,
But nothing can make the elephant gay.

As matters continue to go on badly,
The heart of Mahawasant beats sadly;
He sends for the wisest astrologer known,
And bids him stand before his throne.

"Stargazer, I'll cut off at once your head" --
Thus speaks he, "unless you can tell me instead
"What is it that my poor elephant needs,
"And why his spirit with sorrow so bleeds."

The other one threw himself thrice on the ground,
And finally spoke with obeisance profound:
"O monarch, I'll tell thee the actual fact,
"And then as thou will'st, thou canst afterwards act

"There lives in the North a woman fair,
"Of lofty stature and beauty rare;
"Thy elephant's certainly handsome, Sir,
"But still not fit to be liken'd to her.

"Compared with her, he only appears
"A little white mouse; her form she rears
"Like giantess Bimha in Ramajana,
"And like the Ephesians' great Diana.

"Her limbs are combined in a beautiful frame;
"Two lofty pilasters support the same,
"And proudly and gracefully stand upright,
"Of alabaster dazzling and white.

"This is God Amor's temple gigantic,
"In other words, love's cathedral romantic!
"As lamp there burns within the fane
"A heart quite free from spot and stain.

"The poets are nonpluss'd how to begin
"To describe the charms of her snow-white skin;
"E'en Gautier unable to do it, alas! is,
"Its whiteness all description surpasses.

"The highest Himalaya's snow
"Beside her seems ash-grey to grow;
"The lily that she by accident thumbs
"Through envy or contrast yellow becomes.

"The Countess Bianca is the name
"Of this enormous snow-white dame;
"At Paris she dwells, in the land of France,
"And the elephant loves her by singular chance.

"By strange and wondrous elective affinity
"She became through a dream his bosom's divinity
"And into his heart this lofty Ideal
"First crept by means of a vision unreal.

"Since then he's consumed by a yearning stealthy,
"And he, who was once so joyous and healthy,
"As a four-footed Werther sadly stands,
"And dreams of a Lotte in Northern lands.

"O, Sympathy's mysterious thrill!
"He never saw her, but thinks of her still;
"Oft tramps he round in the moonlight fair,
"And sighs: 'O were I a bird of the air!'

"His body alone is in Siam, his mind
"In France with Bianca thou'lt certainly find;
"And yet this parting of body and soul
"Must greatly injure his health as a whole.

"From the daintiest morsels revolts his belly,
"He cares for nothing but vermicelli;
"He's coughing already, and fast grows thinner;
"His yearning will kill him, or I'm a sinner.

"If thou wouldst save him, preserve him alive,
"His return to the animal world contrive,
"O King, then send the renown'd invalid
"Direct to Paris, with utmost speed.

"When he on the spot in the actual sight
"Of the beautiful lady can take delight --
"Of her who the prototype was of his dream,
"He'll soon be cured of his sadness extreme.

"There where his mistress's glances fall,
"His spirit's torments will vanish all;
"Her smiles will the last of the shadows efface
"Which in his bosom had taken their place.

"And then her voice, like a magical tune,
"Will cure his distracted mind full soon;
"The flaps of his ears he'll joyfully raise,
"And feel as he felt in youthful days.

"All things are so very enchanting and pretty
"On the banks of the Seine, in Paris' fair city!
"How thy elephant there will civilized be,
"Amusing himself right merrily!

"But most of all, O monarch, take care
"That plenty of money he has with him there,
"And a letter of credit all charges to meet,
"On Rothschild Freres in the Rue Lafitte,

"For a million of ducats or thereabouts;
"Then Baron Rothschild will harbour no doubts
"About him, but say with an accent mellow:
"'The elephant's really a capital fellow!'"

The astrologer thus discoursed, and then
He threw himself thrice on the ground again.
The king with rich presents sent him away,
And stretched himself, his course to survey.

He thought of this, and he thought of that;
(Kings seldom find their thoughts come pat).
His ape beside him took his seat,
And both of them fell asleep with the heat.

What he resolved, I'll hereafter relate;
The Indian mails are behind their date.
The last of these which has come to hand
Was by way of Suez, and overland.





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