|
I. | |
|
the emperor | |
|
sleeps in a palace of porphyry | |
|
which was a million years building | |
|
he takes the air in a howdah | |
| 5 |
of jasper beneath saffron |
|
umbrellas | |
|
upon an elephant | |
|
twelve feet high | |
|
behind whose ear | |
| 10 |
sits always a crowned |
|
king twir- | |
|
ling an | |
|
ancus of | |
|
ebony | |
| 15 |
the fountains of the emperor's |
|
palace run sunlight and | |
|
moonlight and the emperor's | |
|
elephant is a thousand years old | |
|
the harem of | |
| 20 |
the emperor |
|
is carpeted with | |
|
gold cloth | |
|
from the | |
|
ceiling (one | |
| 25 |
diamond timid |
|
with nesting incense) | |
|
fifty | |
|
marble | |
|
pillars | |
| 30 |
slipped from immeasurable |
|
height, fall, fifty, silent | |
|
in the incense is tangled a cool moon | |
|
there are thrice-three-hundred | |
|
doors carven of chalcedony and | |
| 35 |
before every door a naked |
|
eunuch watches | |
|
on their heads turbans of a hundred | |
|
colours | |
|
in their hands scimitars like windy torches | |
| 40 |
each |
|
is | |
|
blacker than oblivion | |
|
the ladies | |
|
of the emperor's | |
| 45 |
harem are queens |
|
of all the earth and the rings | |
|
upon their hands are from mines | |
|
a mile deep | |
|
but the body of | |
| 50 |
the queen of queens is |
|
more transparent | |
|
than water, she is softer than birds | |
|
2. | |
|
when the emperor is very | |
|
amorous he reclines upon | |
| 55 |
the couch of couches and |
|
beckons with | |
|
the little | |
|
finger of his left | |
|
hand | |
| 60 |
then the |
|
thrice-three-hundredth | |
|
door is opened by the tallest | |
|
eunuch and the queen | |
|
of queens comes | |
| 65 |
forth |
|
ankles | |
|
musical with large pearls | |
|
kingdoms in her ears | |
|
at the feet of | |
| 70 |
the emperor a cithern- |
|
player squats with | |
|
quiveringgold | |
|
body | |
|
behind | |
| 75 |
the emperor ten |
|
elected warriors with | |
|
bodies of lazy jade | |
|
and twitching | |
|
eyelids | |
| 80 |
finger |
|
their | |
|
unquiet | |
|
spears | |
|
the queen of queens is dancing | |
| 85 |
her subtle |
|
body weaving | |
|
insinuating upon the gold cloth | |
|
incessantly creates patterns of sudden | |
|
lust | |
| 90 |
her |
|
stealing body ex- | |
|
pending gathering pouring upon itself stiffenS | |
|
to a | |
|
white thorn | |
| 95 |
of desire |
|
the taut neck of the citharede wags | |
|
in the dust the ghastly warriors | |
|
amber with lust breathe | |
|
together the emperor, exerting | |
| 100 |
himself among his pillows throws |
|
jewels at the queen of queens and | |
|
white money upon her nakedness | |
|
he | |
|
nods | |
| 105 |
and all |
|
depart through the bruised air aflutter with pearls | |
|
3. | |
|
they are | |
|
alone | |
|
he beckons, she rises she | |
| 110 |
stands |
|
a moment | |
|
in the passion of the fifty | |
|
pillars | |
|
listening | |
| 115 |
while the queens of all the |
|
earth writhe upon deep rugs |
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Transcribed and formatted for Internet reading, with addition of line numbers, from the 1923 (Thomas Seltzer, Inc.) hardcover edition of Tulips and Chimneys by E.E. Cummings.