Vast espanses, Asia, Europe, Africa with deserts wide,
With their sea-shores and their harbours, and strong cities on each side,
On the seas and on the rivers galleons rocking on the waves,
And the undulating corn-fields, riches, all that man’s heart craves,
Linked together, countries, nations, wheresoe’er his eyes would stray,
A vast carpet intermingling countless hues before him lay.
Through a greyish mist transparent there before his eager view,
Under one tree’s shadow only an all-powerful empire grew.
Towards the sky the eagles flying to its branches could not soar;
Loud and victory presaging, a strong wind began to roar,
And the rustling foliage wildly in the stormy blast was rent,
Cries of battle, Allah! Allah! to the highest clouds were sent.
And the tumult grew tremendous like a high tempestuous sea,
Shouts of triumph, shouts of horror, howling now unceasingly;
But with spear-like leaves the branches in the tossing winds contending,
Over the new Rome inclining to the earth were lowly bending.
Shaken by his dream the Sultan wakened... looking upwards, there
On the sky the moon was gliding o’er the hills of Eski-Shehr,
And behind a latticed window smiling was a face so meek,
Twas the graceful child, the daughter of Edèbali, the sheik,
Like a hazel twig so slender, haloed by the bright full moon,
Dreaming on the casement leaning stood the fair maid Malcatoon.
Then he knew that the great Prophet had imagined this device,
That in dream he had ascended in Mohammed’s paradise,
And that from his love an empire would be born and wide would grow.
But its destined years and limits Heaven could alone foreknow.
So, as Fate decreed, the passing ages proved his vision true,
Like an eagle soaring upwards every year the empire grew,
Sultan after sultan followed, their green banner rose still higher,
Nation after nation conquered was by them with sword and fire,
Country after country open all the ways for them did set…
Full of glory to the Danube came the stormy Bajazet.
At a sign with floating vessels shore to shore was quickly bound,
The whole army crossing over to the martial trumpets’ sound.
