Page:Iracéma, the honey-lips (1886).djvu/35

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
IRAÇÉMA.
21

No smile, no freshness, had the Indian maid; no buds, no flowers, has the acacia scorched by the sun; no azure, no stars, has the night when loud jars the wind.

"The forest bloom has opened to the sun-ray; the birds have already sang," said the warrior. "Why does only Iraçéma hang her head and remain silent?"

The daughter of the Pagé trembled. Thus trembles the green palm when its bole is shaken; thus the rain-tears are showered from its frond; thus its fans quietly murmur.

"Cauby the brave is coming to the Taba of his brothers. The stranger can depart with the now rising sun."

"Iraçéma then would see the stranger go from the prairies of the Tabajára; then will gladness return to her heart?"

"The Juruty-dove[1] abandons the nest wherein she was born when the tree decays. No more shall joy visit the breast of Iraçéma. She will remain like the bare trunk, without branches, without shade."

Martim supported the trembling form of the maiden; she rested wearily upon the warrior՚s bosom, like the young tendril of the Baúnilha which twines tenderly round the sturdy branch of the Angico-acacia.[2]

The youth murmured―

"Thy guest remains, maid with the black eyes! he stays to bring back upon thy cheek the flower of happiness, and to sip like the bee the honey of thy lips."

Iraçéma disengaged herself from the youth՚s arms and looked at him with sadness.

"White warrior! Iraçéma is the daughter of the Pagé, and keeps the secret of the Juréma draught. The brave that shall possess the Virgin of Tupan will die.

  1. ↑ Juruty, a species of Brazilian dove.
  2. ↑ Angico, a large cedar much prized by joiners and carpenters.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.