PROSE ORDER OF THE POEM KUBLA KHAN

THE PROSE ORDER OF THE POEM ‘KUBLA KHAN’ 

Kubla Khan did decree (order) a stately (pompous) pleasure dome in Xanadu where Alph, the sacred river,ran down  to a sunless sea through the caverns (caves)which are measureless (vast) to a man, so twice five miles of the fertile ground were girdled(surrounded) round with walls and towers (pillars): and there were bright (lively) gardens with sinuous (winding)rills (streams)in Xanadu where many an incense(balm)-bearing tree blossomed (flowered),and here were  forests as ancient as the hills which  were enfolding (enclosing) the sunny (shining)spots of greenery (green leaves and plants).          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         But oh!  that is a deep romantic chasm which slanted down the green hill athwart (across) a cedarn cover (woods)!  The place is as  savage  as the place is holy and enchanted,  as  this savage place beneath a waning (declining) moon was e’er (always) haunted (frequented) by a woman wailing for her demon lover, and from this chasm, a mighty fountain was momently forced (unnatural) with a ceaseless (continuous) turmoil (uproar) in seething (boiling) fountain  as if this earth were breathing in fast (quick) thick (wide) pants (gasp) and huge fragments vaulted like rebounding (returning) hail (shower) or huge fragments vaulted like a chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s (a person who thrashes) flail (a threshing tool) amid (with) this swift (sudden) half-intermitted (stopped for  a time) burst (blast) of the mighty fountain and this mighty fountain flung up momently the sacred river with these dancing rocks (fragments) at once and ever. The sacred river ran meandering (winding) five miles with a mazy (confused) motion through the wood and dale (valley),then the sacred river reached the caverns (caves) which were measureless (vast) to a man, and the sacred river sank (fell) in tumult (confusion) to a lifeless ocean; and far from  the lifeless ocean with this tumult (confusion),    Kubla khan heard his ancestral (patrimonial) voices prophesying (predicting) war.  

                                                   The shadow of the dome (building) of pleasure (enjoyment) floated midway on the waves; where the mingled (blended) measure (action) was heard from the fountain and the caves. It was a miracle (wonder) of rare (excellent) device (plan) to be a sunny (sunshiny) pleasure (comfort) dome with caves of ice.    

                                                                                                                                                                                   In a vision, once, I saw a damsel (a young unmarried woman) with a dulcimer (a musical instrument); it was an Abyssinian maid (girl), and she played on (performed on) her dulcimer (musical instrument) singing on Mount  Abora.              

                                                                                                                                                                                  Could I revive (rouse, awaken) her symphony (elaborate musical composition) and song, it would win (take) me to such a deep delight with that long land loud music, I would build that dome in air (tune). I would build that sunny (sunshiny) dome, I would build those caves of ice, and all who heard her symphony and song should see them there (in air). And all should cry (shout), Beware (be careful), Beware ( be careful), seeing his flashing (blazing) eyes, his floating (drifting, hanging) hair, you weave (make) a circle (ring) thrice round him, and you close your eyes with a holy (spiritual) dread (fear) for he hath (has) fed on (taken)  honeydew (a sweet sticky substance),  and he has  drunk the milk of paradise.