furnish an example of this in English poetry." In the opening verse of Mesihi's ode, as above transliterated in European characters, the _redif_ is "behar," or spring, and the word which precedes it is the true rhyme-ending. Sir William Jones has made an elegant paraphrase of this charming ode, in which, however, he diverges considerably from the original, as will be seen from his rendering of the first stanza: Hear how the nightingale, on every spray, Hails in wild notes the sweet return of May! The gale, that o'er yon waving almond blows, The verdant bank with silver blossoms strows; The smiling season decks each flowery glade-- Be gay; too soon the flowers of spring will fade. This Turkish poet's maxim, it will be observed, was "enjoy the present day"--the _carpe diem_ of Horace, the genial old pagan. On the same suggestive theme of Springtide a celebrated Turkish poetess, Fitnet Khanim (for the Ottoman Turks have poetesses of considerable genius as well as poets), has composed a pleasing ode, addressed to her lord, of which the following stanzas are also from Mr. Gibb's collection: The fresh spring-clouds across all earth their glistening pearls profuse now sow; The flowers, too, all appearing, forth the radiance of their beauty show; Of mirth and joy 'tis now the time, the hour, to wander to and fro; The palm-tree o'er the fair ones' pic-nic gay its grateful shade doth throw. _O Liege, come forth! From end to end with verdure doth the whole earth glow; 'Tis springtide once again, once more the tulips and the roses blow!_ Behold the roses, how they shine, e'en like the cheeks of maids most fair; The fresh-sprung hyacinth shows like to beauties' dark, sweet, musky hair; The loved one's form behold, like cypress which the streamlet's bank doth bear; In sooth, each side for soul and heart doth some delightful joy prepare. _O Liege, come forth! From end to end with verdure doth the whole earth glow; 'Tis springtide once again, once more the tulips and the roses blow!_ The parterre's flowers have all bloomed forth, the roses, sweetly smiling, shine; On every side lorn nightingales, in plaintive notes discerning, pine. How fair carnation and wallflower the borders of the garden line! The long-haired hyacinth and jasmine both around the cypress twine. _O Liege, come forth! From end to end with verdure doth the whole earth glow; 'Tis springtide once again, once more the tulips and the roses blow!_ I cannot resist the temptation to cite, in concluding this introductory paper, another fine eulogy of the delights of spring, by Amir Khusru, of Delhi (14th century), from his _Mihra-i-Iskandar_, which has been thus rendered into rhythmical prose: