A Tale of the Tauride
Mute sat Giray, with downcast eye,As though some spell in sorrow bound him,His slavish courtiers thronging nigh,In sad expectance stood around him.The lips of all had silence sealed,Whilst, bent on him, each look observant,Saw grief's deep trace and passion ferventUpon his gloomy brow revealed.But the proud Khan his dark eye raising,And on the courtiers fiercely gazing,Gave signal to them to begone!The chief, unwitnessed and alone,Now yields him to his bosom's smart,Deeper upon his brow severeIs traced the anguish of his heart;As full fraught clouds on mirrors clearReflected terrible appear!
What fills that haughty soul with pain?What thoughts such madd'ning tumults cause?With Russia plots he war again?Would he to Poland dictate laws?Say, is the sword of vengeance glancing?Does bold revolt claim nature's right?Do realms oppressed alarm excite?Or sabres of fierce foes advancing?Ah no! no more his proud steed prancingBeneath him guides the Khan to war,--Such thoughts his mind has banished far.
Has treason scaled the harem's wall,Whose height might treason's self appal,And slavery's daughter fled his power,To yield her to the daring Giaour?
No! pining in his harem sadly,No wife of his would act so madly;To wish or think they scarcely dare;By wretches, cold and heartless, guarded,Hope from each breast so long discarded;Treason could never enter there.Their beauties unto none revealed,They bloom within the harem's towers,As in a hot-house bloom the flowersWhich erst perfumed Arabia's field.To them the days in sameness dreary,And months and years pass slow away,In solitude, of life grown weary,Well pleased they see their charms decay.Each day, alas! the past resembling,Time loiters through their halls and bowers;In idleness, and fear, and trembling,The captives pass their joyless hours.The youngest seek, indeed, reprieveTheir hearts in striving to deceiveInto oblivion of distress,By vain amusements, gorgeous dress,Or by the noise of living streams,In soft translucency meand'ring,To lose their thoughts in fancy's dreams,Through shady groves together wand'ring.But the vile eunuch too is there,In his base duty ever zealous,Escape is hopeless to the fairFrom ear so keen and eye so jealous.He ruled the harem, order reignedEternal there; the trusted treasureHe watched with loyalty unfeigned,His only law his chieftain's pleasure,Which as the Koran he maintained.His soul love's gentle flame derides,And like a statue he abidesHatred, contempt, reproaches, jests,Nor prayers relax his temper rigid,Nor timid sighs from tender breasts,To all alike the wretch is frigid.He knows how woman's sighs can melt,Freeman and bondman he had feltHer art in days when he was younger;Her silent tear, her suppliant look,Which once his heart confiding shook,Now move not,--he believes no longer!
When, to relieve the noontide heat,The captives go their limbs to lave,And in sequestered, cool retreatYield all their beauties to the wave,No stranger eye their charms may greet,But their strict guard is ever nigh,Viewing with unimpassioned eyeThese beauteous daughters of delight;He constant, even in gloom of night,Through the still harem cautious stealing,Silent, o'er carpet-covered floors,And gliding through half-opened doors,From couch to couch his pathway feeling,With envious and unwearied careWatching the unsuspecting fair;And whilst in sleep unguarded lying,Their slightest movement, breathing, sighing,He catches with devouring ear.O! curst that moment inauspiciousShould some loved name in dreams be sighed,Or youth her unpermitted wishesTo friendship venture to confide.
What pang is Giray's bosom tearing?Extinguished is his loved chubouk,Whilst or to move or breathe scarce daring,The eunuch watches every look;Quick as the chief, approaching near him,Beckons, the door is open thrown,And Giray wanders through his haremWhere joy to him no more is known.Near to a fountain's lucid watersCaptivity's unhappy daughtersThe Khan await, in fair array,Around on silken carpets crowded,Viewing, beneath a heaven unclouded,With childish joy the fishes playAnd o'er the marble cleave their way,Whose golden scales are brightly glancing,And on the mimic billows dancing.Now female slaves in rich attireServe sherbet to the beauteous fair,Whilst plaintive strains from viewless choirFloat sudden on the ambient air.
Words in this poem 37
- expectance n.
- The act of expecting ; expectation.
- fervent a.
- Hot; glowing; boiling; burning; as, a fervent summer. [F. fervent, L. fervens, -entis. p.pr. of fervere o the boiling hot, to boil, glow.]
- khan n.
- A king; a prince; a chief; a governor; -- so called among the Tartars, Turks, and Persians, and in countries now or formerly governed by them. [Pers. & Tart. khan.]
- fraught n.
- A freight; a cargo. [OE.fraight, fraght; akin to Dan. fragt, Sw. frakt, D. vracht, G. fracht, cf. OHG. fr merit, reward; perh. from corresponding to E. for + The root of E. own. Cf.]
- haughty a.
- High; lofty; bold. [OE. hautein, F. hautain, fr. haut high, OF. also halt, fr. L. altus. See Altitude.]
- glancing a.
- Shooting, as light.
- steed n.
- A horse, especially a spirited horse for state of war; -- used chiefly in poetry or stately prose. [OE. stede, AS. steda a stud-horse, war horse, fr. stod a stud of breeding steeds; akin to G. stute a mare, Icel. stedda, sto, a stud. *163. See Stud of horses.]
- scaled a.
- Covered with scales, or scalelike structures; -- said of a fish, a reptile, a moth, etc.
- giaour n.
- An infidel; -- a term applied by Turks to disbelievers in the Mohammedan religion, especially Christrians. [Turk. giaur an infidel, Per. gawr, another form of ghebr fire worshiper. Cf. Kaffir, Gheber .]
- harem n.
- The apartments or portion of the house allotted to females in Mohammedan families. [Ar.haram, orig., anything forbidden of sacred, fr. harama to forbid, prohibit.]
- sadly adv.
- Wearily; heavily; firmly.
- madly adv.
- In a mad manner; without reason or understanding; wildly. [From Mad, a.]
- heartless a.
- Without a heart.
- dreary a.
- Sorrowful; distressful. [OE. dreori, dreri, AS. dreórig, sad; akin to G. traurig, and prob. to AS. dreósan to fall, Goth. driusan. Cf. Dross, Drear, Drizzle, Drowse.]
- joyless a.
- Not having joy; not causing joy; unenjoyable.
- reprieve v. t.
- To delay the punishment of; to suspend the execution of sentence on; to give a respite to; to respite; as, to reprieve a criminal for thirty days. [OE. repreven to reject, disallow, OF. reprover to blame, reproach, condemn (pres. il reprueve), F. réprouver to disapprove, fr. L. reprobare to reject, condemn;]
- oblivion n.
- The act of forgetting, or the state of being forgotten; cessation of remembrance; forgetfulness. [L. oblivio, akin to oblivisci to forget: cf. OF. oblivion.]
- gorgeous a.
- Imposing through splendid or various colors; showy; fine; magnificent. [OF. gorgias beautiful, glorious, vain, luxurious; cf. OF. gorgias ruff, neck handkerchief, and F. gorge throat, and se pengorger to assume airs. Cf. Gorge, n.]
- translucency n.
- The quality or state of being translucent; clearness; partial transparency. Sir T. Browne.
- unfeigned a.
- Not feigned; not counterfeit; not hypocritical; real; sincere; genuine; as, unfeigned piety; unfeigned love to man.
- bondman n.
- A man slave, or one bound to service without wages. [Bond,a.orn.+ man.]
- suppliant a.
- Asking earnestly and submissively; entreating; beseeching; supplicating. [F., p.pr. of supplier to entreat, L. supplicare. See Supplicate, and cf. Supplicant.]
- confiding a.
- That confides; trustful; unsuspicious.
- shook v. t.
- To pack, as staves, in a shook.
- relieve v. t.
- To lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise. Piers Plowman. [OE. releven, F. relever to raise again, discharge, relieve, fr. L. relevare to lift up, raise, make light, relieve; pref. re- re- + levare to raise, fr. levis l]
- noontide n.
- The time of noon; midday. [From noon + tide time; cf. AS. n the ninth hour.]
- lave v. t.
- To lade, dip, or pour out. [OE. laven. See Lavish.]
- beauteous a.
- Full of beauty; beautiful; very handsome. [Mostly poetic] -- Beau"te*ous*ly, adv. --
- pathway n.
- A footpath; a beaten track; any path or course. Also used figuratively.
- envious a.
- Malignant; mischievous; spiteful. [OF. envios, F. envieux, fr. L. invidiosus, fr. invidia envy. See Envy, and cf. Invidious.]
- unwearied a.
- Not wearied; not fatigued or tired; hence, persistent; not tiring or wearying; indefatigable.
- curst a.
- Froward; malignant; mischievous; malicious; snarling. [SeeCurse.]
- inauspicious a.
- Not auspicious; ill-omened; unfortunate; unlucky; unfavorable.
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- await v. t.
- To watch for; to look out for. [OF. awaitier, agaitier; (L. ad) + waitier, gaitier to watch, F. guetter. See Wait.]
- viewless a.
- Not perceivable by the eye; invisible; unseen.
- ambient a.
- Encompassing on all sides; circumfused; investing. [L. ambiens, p. pr. of ambire to go around; amb- + ire to go.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
A Tale of the Tauride is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Bakchesarian Fountain and Other Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #8192; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Alexander Pushkin, A Tale of the Tauride, in The Bakchesarian Fountain and Other Poems (1849), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #8192, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/pushkin-bakchesarian/a-tale-of-the-tauride.html, id L25554.
Form and metre
A Tale of the Tauride is 122 lines in 6 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 91%).
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABABCDDCEE--FGFGG eyeA · himB · nighA · himB · sealedC · observantD · ferventD · revealedC · raisingE · gazingE · begone · alone · smartF · severeG · heartF · clearG · appearG
- 2 ABABCDDCC-- painA · causeB · againA · lawsB · glancingC · rightD · exciteD · advancingC · prancingC · war · far
- 4 AAB--BCDDCEFEFGHGHIIJJKLKLMNMNOPOPOQQRSRSTT-UU- sadlyA · madlyA · dareB · guarded · discarded · thereB · revealedC · towersD · flowersD · fieldC · drearyE · awayF · wearyE · decayF · resemblingG · bowersH · tremblingG · hoursH · reprieveI · deceiveI · distressJ · dressJ · streamsK · meand'ringL · dreamsK · wand'ringL · thereM · zealousN · fairM · jealousN · reignedO · treasureP · unfeignedO · pleasureP · maintainedO · deridesQ · abidesQ · jestsR · rigidS · breastsR · frigidS · meltT · feltT · younger · lookU · shookU · longer
- 5 ABABACCDDEFFEGGHHG-I-I heatA · laveB · retreatA · waveB · greetA · nighC · eyeC · delightD · nightD · stealingE · floorsF · doorsF · feelingE · careG · fairG · lyingH · sighingH · earG · inauspicious · sighedI · wishes · confideI
- 6 A-A-BCBCDDEFFEEGGHIHI tearingA · chubouk · daringA · look · himB · thrownC · haremB · knownC · watersD · daughtersD · arrayE · crowdedF · uncloudedF · playE · wayE · glancingG · dancingG · attireH · fairI · choirH · airI
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Mute sat Giray, with downcast eye, | 8 | ·····/·· |
| As though some spell in sorrow bound him, | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| His slavish courtiers thronging nigh, | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| In sad expectance stood around him. | 9 | ········· |
| The lips of all had silence sealed, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Whilst, bent on him, each look observant, | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| Saw grief's deep trace and passion fervent | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Upon his gloomy brow revealed. | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| But the proud Khan his dark eye raising, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| And on the courtiers fiercely gazing, | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Gave signal to them to begone! | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| The chief, unwitnessed and alone, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Now yields him to his bosom's smart, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Deeper upon his brow severe | 8 | /˘····˘/ |
| Is traced the anguish of his heart; | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| As full fraught clouds on mirrors clear | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Reflected terrible appear! | 8 | ˘/˘/˘˘˘/ |
| What fills that haughty soul with pain? | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| What thoughts such madd'ning tumults cause? | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| With Russia plots he war again? | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Would he to Poland dictate laws? | 8 | ···/˘/·· |
| Say, is the sword of vengeance glancing? | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Does bold revolt claim nature's right? | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| Do realms oppressed alarm excite? | 8 | ··˘/˘/˘/ |
| Or sabres of fierce foes advancing? | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| Ah no! no more his proud steed prancing | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Beneath him guides the Khan to war,-- | 8 | ········ |
| Such thoughts his mind has banished far. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Has treason scaled the harem's wall, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Whose height might treason's self appal, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| And slavery's daughter fled his power, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··/ |
| To yield her to the daring Giaour? | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| No! pining in his harem sadly, | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| No wife of his would act so madly; | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| To wish or think they scarcely dare; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| By wretches, cold and heartless, guarded, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Hope from each breast so long discarded; | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| Treason could never enter there. | 8 | /˘·/˘/˘· |
| Their beauties unto none revealed, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| They bloom within the harem's towers, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| As in a hot-house bloom the flowers | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Which erst perfumed Arabia's field. | 8 | ··˘/˘/˘· |
| To them the days in sameness dreary, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| And months and years pass slow away, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| In solitude, of life grown weary, | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| Well pleased they see their charms decay. | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Each day, alas! the past resembling, | 9 | ··˘/··˘/˘ |
| Time loiters through their halls and bowers; | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| In idleness, and fear, and trembling, | 9 | ·/˘···/˘˘ |
| The captives pass their joyless hours. | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| The youngest seek, indeed, reprieve | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘/ |
| Their hearts in striving to deceive | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Into oblivion of distress, | 8 | ··˘/˘·˘/ |
| By vain amusements, gorgeous dress, | 8 | ··˘/˘/˘· |
| Or by the noise of living streams, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| In soft translucency meand'ring, | 8 | ········ |
| To lose their thoughts in fancy's dreams, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Through shady groves together wand'ring. | 9 | ·/˘·˘/˘·· |
| But the vile eunuch too is there, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| In his base duty ever zealous, | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Escape is hopeless to the fair | 8 | ˘/·/˘··· |
| From ear so keen and eye so jealous. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| He ruled the harem, order reigned | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Eternal there; the trusted treasure | 9 | ˘/˘··/˘/˘ |
| He watched with loyalty unfeigned, | 8 | ···/˘˘˘/ |
| His only law his chieftain's pleasure, | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| Which as the Koran he maintained. | 8 | ···˘/·˘/ |
| His soul love's gentle flame derides, | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| And like a statue he abides | 8 | ···/··˘/ |
| Hatred, contempt, reproaches, jests, | 8 | /˘˘/˘/˘· |
| Nor prayers relax his temper rigid, | 9 | ··˘/·/˘/˘ |
| Nor timid sighs from tender breasts, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| To all alike the wretch is frigid. | 9 | ··˘/···/˘ |
| He knows how woman's sighs can melt, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Freeman and bondman he had felt | 8 | /˘·/˘··· |
| Her art in days when he was younger; | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Her silent tear, her suppliant look, | 9 | ·/˘··/˘˘· |
| Which once his heart confiding shook, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Now move not,--he believes no longer! | 9 | ····˘/·/˘ |
| When, to relieve the noontide heat, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| The captives go their limbs to lave, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And in sequestered, cool retreat | 8 | ··˘/˘·˘/ |
| Yield all their beauties to the wave, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| No stranger eye their charms may greet, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| But their strict guard is ever nigh, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Viewing with unimpassioned eye | 8 | /˘······ |
| These beauteous daughters of delight; | 9 | ·/˘˘/˘·˘/ |
| He constant, even in gloom of night, | 8 | ·/˘/···· |
| Through the still harem cautious stealing, | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Silent, o'er carpet-covered floors, | 8 | /˘·/˘/˘· |
| And gliding through half-opened doors, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| From couch to couch his pathway feeling, | 9 | ·····/·/˘ |
| With envious and unwearied care | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| Watching the unsuspecting fair; | 8 | /˘··˘/˘· |
| And whilst in sleep unguarded lying, | 9 | ····˘/˘/˘ |
| Their slightest movement, breathing, sighing, | 9 | ·/˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| He catches with devouring ear. | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| O! curst that moment inauspicious | 9 | ···/˘˘·/˘ |
| Should some loved name in dreams be sighed, | 8 | ········ |
| Or youth her unpermitted wishes | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| To friendship venture to confide. | 8 | ·/˘/˘·˘/ |
| What pang is Giray's bosom tearing? | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Extinguished is his loved chubouk, | 8 | ˘/˘····· |
| Whilst or to move or breathe scarce daring, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| The eunuch watches every look; | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Quick as the chief, approaching near him, | 9 | ····˘/˘·· |
| Beckons, the door is open thrown, | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| And Giray wanders through his harem | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| Where joy to him no more is known. | 8 | ········ |
| Near to a fountain's lucid waters | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Captivity's unhappy daughters | 9 | ˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘ |
| The Khan await, in fair array, | 8 | ··˘/··˘/ |
| Around on silken carpets crowded, | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Viewing, beneath a heaven unclouded, | 9 | /˘···/··· |
| With childish joy the fishes play | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| And o'er the marble cleave their way, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Whose golden scales are brightly glancing, | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| And on the mimic billows dancing. | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Now female slaves in rich attire | 9 | ·/····˘/˘ |
| Serve sherbet to the beauteous fair, | 9 | ·/˘··/˘˘· |
| Whilst plaintive strains from viewless choir | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| Float sudden on the ambient air. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.