The Banquet

    Wine ran; rich yellow wine upon the marble floor
    Recklessly spilled; the Nubians ran to pour
    A fresh libation; and to scatter showers
    Of red rose petals; candles overturned
    Smouldered among the ruins of the flowers,
    And overhead swung heavy shadowy bowers
    Of blue and purple grapes,
    And strange fantastic shapes
    Of varied birds, where lanterns hung and dimly burned.

    The melon and the orange, turned to use
    As golden balls with laughter lightly tossed,
    Lay burst and drained of their sweet juice,
    Uselessly ripened and for ever lost;
    All glowing as they lay upon the ground,
    As envious of their fellows,
    Who, piled in luscious reds and yellows,
    Enriched the tables all around,
    The tables low,
    Sheltering the reclining grace;
    Here, through the curling smoke, a swarthy face,
    And jewelled turban bound about the head,
    And here the glow
    Of red carnation pressed to lips as warmly red.

    And as they lay in their luxurious ease,
    Playing with grapes and rose-leaves, slim
    And willowy slave-girls, in the hope to please,
    Twisted and danced before them, to the dim
    Uncertain music in the shadows played;
    Some came with supple limb,
    With Mystery's aid
    And snake-like creep,
    Others with riotous leap
    And made festivity to Bacchus wed;
    Others with stiff Egyptian tread,
    And straight black hair hanging in glossy braid,
    They danced, unnoted, and exhausted fled.
                *            *            *            *            *
    Still floated from beneath the acacia-tree
    The droning Eastern music's minor key.