I <br /> <br />She sate upon her Dobie, <br />To watch the Evening Star, <br />And all the Punkahs as they passed, <br />Cried, 'My! how fair you are!' <br />Around her bower, with quivering leaves, <br />The tall Kamsamahs grew, <br />And Kitmutgars in wild festoons <br />Hung down from Tchokis blue. <br /> <br /> <br />II <br /> <br />Below her home the river rolled <br />With soft meloobious sound, <br />Where golden-finned Chuprassies swam, <br />In myriads circling round. <br />Above, on talles trees remote <br />Green Ayahs perched alone, <br />And all night long the Mussak moan'd <br />Its melancholy tone. <br /> <br /> <br />III <br /> <br />And where the purple Nullahs threw <br />Their branches far and wide,-- <br />And silvery Goreewallahs flew <br />In silence, side by side,-- <br />The little Bheesties' twittering cry <br />Rose on the fragrant air, <br />And oft the angry Jampan howled <br />Deep in his hateful lair. <br /> <br /> <br />IV <br /> <br />She sate upon her Dobie,-- <br />She heard the Nimmak hum,-- <br />When all at once a cry arose,-- <br />'The Cummerbund is come!' <br />In vain she fled: -- with open jaws <br />The angry monster followed, <br />And so, (before assistence came,) <br />That Lady Fair was swallowed. <br /> <br /> <br />V <br /> <br />They sought in vain for even a bone <br />Respectfully to bury,-- <br />They said, -- 'Hers was a dreadful fate!' <br />(And Echo answered 'Very.') <br />They nailed her Dobie to the wall, <br />Where last her form was seen, <br />And underneath they wrote these words, <br />In yellow, blue, and green:-- <br /> <br />Beware, ye Fair! Ye Fair, beware! <br />Nor sit out late at night,-- <br />Lest horrid Cummerbunds should come, <br />And swallow you outright.<br /><br />Edward Lear<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-cummerbund-an-indian-poem/
