Fills the next grave,--the beautiful and young.

W.C. BRYANT.




Israfel.

And the angel Israfel, whose heart-strings are a lute, and who
has the sweetest voice of all God's creatures.

--_Koran._


In Heaven a spirit doth dwell
Whose heart-strings are a lute;
None sing so wildly well
As the angel Israfel,
And the giddy stars (so legends tell),
Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell
Of his voice, all mute.

Tottering above
In her highest noon,
The enamored moon
Blushes with love,
While, to listen, the red levin
(With the rapid Pleiads, even,
Which were seven)