{"id":3450,"date":"2016-07-06T10:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T04:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goheritagerun.com\/?p=3450"},"modified":"2018-05-09T23:20:54","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T17:50:54","slug":"tombs-kings-golconda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goheritagerun.com\/tombs-kings-golconda\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tombs of the Kings of Golconda (a poem by Letitia Elizabeth Landon)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Letitia Elizabeth Landon, English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L writes about the Golconda fort. Hat tip – Mrs. Anuradha Reddy, INTACH Hyderabad and Telangana. Featured image is a watercolor of\u00a0Golconda Fort, Hyderabad Watercolor by Jaee Apte<\/a>, used with permission.<\/p>\n Morning is round the shining palace,<\/em> Wherefore to the crimson morning<\/em> From the gates the slow procession,<\/em> Now the monarch must surrender<\/em> What are now the chiefs that gather?<\/em> Glorious is their place of sleeping,<\/em> Not on such vain aids relying,<\/em> Can’t visit the Golconda fort just yet? But Golconda fort can come to you – on a t-shirt! Buy a Golconda fort t-shirt at our store – link<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Letitia Elizabeth Landon, English poet and novelist, writes a poem on the Golconda fort. Shared by Mrs. Anuradha Reddy, INTACH Hyderabad and Telangana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3770,"featured_media":3454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"quote","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,191,558],"tags":[335,227,195,44,197,377,378],"yoast_head":"\n
\nMirror’d on the tide,<\/em>
\nWhere the lily lifts her chalice,<\/em>
\nWith its gold inside,<\/em>
\nLike an offering from the waves.<\/em>
\nEarly waken’d from their slumbers,<\/em>
\nStand the glittering ranks;<\/em>
\nWho is there shall count the numbers<\/em>
\nOn the river’s banks?<\/em>
\nForth the household pours the slaves<\/em>
\nOf the kings of fair Golconda,<\/em>
\nOf Golconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAre the banners spread,<\/em>
\nDaybreak’s early colours scorning<\/em>
\nWith a livelier red?<\/em>
\nPearls are wrought on each silk fold.<\/em>
\nSummer flowers are flung to wither<\/em>
\nOn the common way.<\/em>
\nIs some royal bride brought hither<\/em>
\nWith this festival array,<\/em>
\nTo the city’s mountain-hold<\/em>
\nOf the kings of old Golconda,<\/em>
\nOf Golconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nTroops and nobles come.<\/em>
\nThis hour takes the king possession<\/em>
\nOf an ancient home\u2014<\/em>
\nOne he never leaves again.<\/em>
\nMusk and sandal wood and amber<\/em>
\nFling around their breath:<\/em>
\nThey will fill the murky chamber<\/em>
\nWhere the bride is Death.<\/em>
\nWhere the worm hath sole domain<\/em>
\nO’er the kings of old Golconda,<\/em>
\nO’er Golconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAll his golden state,<\/em>
\nYet the mockeries of splendour<\/em>
\nOn the pageant wait<\/em>
\nThat attends him to the tomb.<\/em>
\nMusic on the air is swelling,<\/em>
\n‘Tis the funeral song,<\/em>
\nAs to his ancestral dwelling,<\/em>
\nIs he borne along.<\/em>
\nThey must share life’s common doom,<\/em>
\nThe kings of fair Golconda,<\/em>
\nGolconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nWhat their diamond mines?<\/em>
\nWhat the heron’s snowy feather<\/em>
\nOn their crest that shines?<\/em>
\nWhat their valleys of the rose?<\/em>
\nFor another is their glory,<\/em>
\nAnd their state, and gold?<\/em>
\nThey are a forgotten story,<\/em>
\nFaint and feebly told\u2014<\/em>
\nBreaking not the still repose<\/em>
\nOf the kings of fair Golconda,<\/em>
\nOf Golconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nGold with azure wrought,<\/em>
\nAnd embroider’d silk is sweeping,<\/em>
\nSilk from Persia brought,<\/em>
\nRound the carved marble walls.*<\/em>
\nNot the less the night owl’s pinion<\/em>
\nStirs the dusky air,<\/em>
\nNot the less is the dominion<\/em>
\nOf the earth worm there.<\/em>
\nNot less deep the shadow falls<\/em>
\nO’er the kings of fair Golconda,<\/em>
\nO’er Golconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nCan the human heart<\/em>
\nTriumph o’er the dead and dying,<\/em>
\nIt must know its part<\/em>
\nIn the glorious hopes that wait<\/em>
\nThe bright openings of the portal,<\/em>
\nFar beyond the sky\u2014<\/em>
\nFaith whose promise is immortal,<\/em>
\nLife, that cannot die.<\/em>
\nThese, and stronger than the state<\/em>
\nOf the kings of fair Golconda,<\/em>
\nOf Golconda’s ancient kings.<\/em><\/p>\n