The Butterfly's Numidian Gown 1
With spots of Burnish roasted on
Is proof against the Sun
Yet prone to shut its spotted Fan
And panting on a Clover lean
As if it were undone－
With spots of Burnish roasted on
Is proof against the Sun
Yet prone to shut its spotted Fan
And panting on a Clover lean
As if it were undone－
(F.1395/J.1387)
[1] Butterfly:: Haidee in Don Juan, a long poem by Lord Byron (1788–1824). Numidian:: her mother was a Moor.
[2] Burnish roasted:: under the Africa sun (in Canto IV, LVI).
[3] against, Sun:: the Africa sun, and her father Lambro.
[4] prone to shut:: Haidee was willing to die for her lover.
[5] on a Clover lean:: to be in clover, to live luxuriously; clover being extremely delicious and fattening to cattle (OED 3).
[5, 6] panting, undone:: though Haidee was well cared by all, she died of sorrow, "Twelve days and nights she withered thus."
Canto IV
LVI.
Afric is all the sun's, and as her earth
Her human clay is kindled; full of power
For good or evil, burning from its birth,
The Moorish blood partakes the planet's hour,
And like the soil beneath it will bring forth:
Beauty and love were Haidee's mother's dower;
But her large dark eye show'd deep Passion's force,
Though sleeping like a lion near a source.
LVII.
Her daughter, temper'd with a milder ray,
Like summer clouds all silvery, smooth, and fair,
Till slowly charged with thunder they display
Terror to earth, and tempest to the air,
Had held till now her soft and milky way;
But overwrought with passion and despair
The fire burst forth from her Numidian veins,
Even as the Simoom sweeps the blasted plains.
