Poems (Piatt)/Volume 2/The Sultan's Confession
THE SULTAN'S CONFESSION.
The richest Sultan of the East once said,
And stooped, to hide his blush, his turbaned head:
And stooped, to hide his blush, his turbaned head:
"Yes, I am great. Behold, I can command
Armies of slaves through all my flowering land.
Armies of slaves through all my flowering land.
"But I could not command the worm, so small
None sees, that ate the dead Sultana's shawl.
None sees, that ate the dead Sultana's shawl.
"She, sweetest of the sweet, who left these eyes
For ever dark, to lighten Paradise,—
For ever dark, to lighten Paradise,—
"The folds that touched her lovely form to me
Were more than all my jewelled treasury."
Were more than all my jewelled treasury."