Chapter I: Front Matter

POEMS FROM EASTERN SOURCES:
THE STEADFAST PRINCE;
AND OTHER POEMS.

BY
RICHARD CHENEVIX TRENCH.

LONDON:
EDWARD MOXON, DOVER STREET.
MDCCCXLII.

LONDON:
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

CONTENTS.

POEMS FROM EASTERN SOURCES.

PAGE

ALEXANDER AT THE GATES OF PARADISE.—A LEGEND
FROM THE TALMUD 3

CHIDHER’S WELL 11

THE BANISHED KINGS 14

THE BALLADS OF HAROUN AL RASCHID:
I.—THE SPILT PEARLS 20
II.—THE BARMECIDES 24
III.—THE FESTIVAL 35

THE EASTERN NARCISSUS 41

THE SEASONS:
I.—WINTER 43
II.—SPRING 46
III.—SUMMER 49
IV.—AUTUMN 52

MOSES AND JETHRO 55

PROVERBS, TURKISH AND PERSIAN 60

“THE GOOD THAT ONE MAN FLINGS ASIDE” 64

LOVE 67

THE FALCON 69

LIFE THROUGH DEATH:

I.—“A PAGAN KING TORMENTED FIERCELY ALL” 71

II.—“A DEW-DROP FALLING ON THE WILD SEA
WAVE” 73

III.—“THE SEED MUST DIE, BEFORE THE CORN
APPEARS” 74

THE WORLD 75

THE MONK AND SINNER 78

“WHAT, THOU ASKEST, IS THE HEAVEN, AND THE
ROUND EARTH AND THE SEA” 81

THE SUPPLIANT 84

THE PANTHEIST; OR, THE ORIGIN OF EVIL 87

GHAZEL 90

THE RIGHTEOUS OF THE WORLD 91

MAXIMS 94

THE FALCON’S REWARD 96

THE CONVERSION OF ABRAHAM 101

SONNET 103

THE DEAD DOG 104

“FAIR VESSEL HAST THOU SEEN WITH HONEY FILLED” 106

FRAGMENTS:
I.—THE CERTAINTY OF FAITH 108
II.—MAN’S TWOFOLD NATURE 109
III.—SCIENCE AND LOVE 110
IV.—“THE BUSINESS OF THE WORLD IS CHILD’S
PLAY MERE” 111
V.—“SAGE, THAT WOULD’ST MAKER OF THINE OWN
GOD BE” 112
VI.—“MAN, THE CAGED BIRD THAT OWNED AN
HIGHER NEST” 113

NOTES TO THE POEMS FROM EASTERN SOURCES 115

THE STEADFAST PRINCE:
PART I. 125