To my love, then, quick repair,Whisper softly to his heart;Yet, to give him pain, beware,Nor my bosom's pangs impart.
Tell him, but in accents coy,That his love must be my life;Both, with feelings fraught with joy,In his presence will be rife.
1815.
THE REUNION.
CAN it be! of stars the star,Do I press thee to my heart?
In the night of distance far,What deep gulf, what bitter smart!
Yes, 'tis thou, indeed, at last,Of my joys the partner dear!
Mindful, though, of sorrows past,I the present needs must fear.
When the still-unfashion'd earthLay on God's eternal breast, He ordain'd its hour of birth,With creative joy possess'd.
Then a heavy sigh arose,When He spake the sentence:--"Be!"And the All, with mighty throes,Burst into reality.
And when thus was born the light,Darkness near it fear'd to stay, And the elements with mightFled on every side away;Each on some far-distant trace,Each with visions wild employ, Numb, in boundless realm of space,Harmony and feeling-void.
Dumb was all, all still and dead,For the first time, God alone!
Then He form'd the morning-red,Which soon made its kindness known:
It unravelled from the waste,Bright and glowing harmony, And once more with love was grac'dWhat contended formerly.
And with earnest, noble strife,Each its own Peculiar sought;Back to full, unbounded lifeSight and feeling soon were brought.
Wherefore, if 'tis done, exploreHow? why give the manner, name?
Allah need create no more,We his world ourselves can frame.
So, with morning pinions bright,To thy mouth was I impell'd;Stamped with thousand seals by night,Star-clear is the bond fast held.
Paragons on earth are weBoth of grief and joy sublime, And a second sentence:--"Be!"Parts us not a second time.
1815.
SULEIKA.
WITH what inward joy, sweet lay,I thy meaning have descried!
Lovingly thou seem'st to sayThat I'm ever by his side;That he ever thinks of me,That he to the absent gives All his love's sweet ecstasy,While for him alone she lives.
Yes, the mirror which revealsThee, my loved one, is my breast;This the bosom, where thy sealsEndless kisses have impress'd.
Numbers sweet, unsullied truth,Chain me down in sympathy!
Love's embodied radiant youth,In the garb of poesy!
1819.
IN thousand forms mayst thou attempt surprise,Yet, all-beloved-one, straight know I thee;Thou mayst with magic veils thy face disguise,And yet, all-present-one, straight know I thee.
Upon the cypress' purest, youthful bud,All-beauteous-growing-one, straight know I thee;In the canal's unsullied, living flood,All-captivating-one, well know I thee.
When spreads the water-column, rising proud,All-sportive one, how gladly know I thee;When, e'en in forming, is transform'd the cloud,All-figure-changing-one, there know I thee.
Veil in the meadow-carpet's flowery charms,All-checkered-starry-fair-one, know I thee;And if a plant extend its thousand arms,O, all-embracing-one, there know I thee.
When on the mount is kindled morn's sweet light,Straightway, all-gladdening-one, salute I thee, The arch of heaven o'er head grows pure and bright,--All-heart-expanding-one, then breathe I thee.
That which my inward, outward sense proclaims,Thou all-instructing-one, I know through thee;And if I utter Allah's hundred names,A name with each one echoes, meant for thee.
1819.
IX.SAKE NAME.
THE CONVIVIAL BOOK.
CAN the Koran from Eternity be?
'Tis worth not a thought!
Can the Koran a creation, then, be?
Of that, I know nought!
Yet that the book of all books it must be,I believe, as a Mussulman ought.
That from Eternity wine, though, must be,I ever have thought;That 'twas ordain'd, ere the Angels, to be,As a truth may be taught.
Drinkers, however these matters may be,Gaze on God's face, fearing nought.
1815.
YE'VE often, for our drunkenness,Blamed us in ev'ry way, And, in abuse of drunkenness,Enough can never say.
Men, overcome by drunkenness,Are wont to lie till day;And yet I find my drunkennessAll night-time make me stray;For, oh! 'tis Love's sweet drunkennessThat maketh me its prey, Which night and day, and day and night,My heart must needs obey,--A heart that, in its drunkenness,Pours forth full many a lay, So that no trifling drunkennessCan dare assert its sway.
Love, song, and wine's sweet drunkenness,By night-time and by day,--How god-like is the drunkennessThat maketh me its prey!
1815.
X.MATHAL NAME.
BOOK OF PARABLES.
FROM heaven there fell upon the foaming waveA timid drop; the flood with anger roared,--But God, its modest boldness to reward, Strength to the drop and firm endurance gave.
Its form the mussel captive took,And to its lasting glory and renown,The pearl now glistens in our monarch's crown, With gentle gleam and loving look.
1819.
BULBUL'S song, through night hours cold,Rose to Allah's throne on high;To reward her melody, Giveth he a cage of gold.
Such a cage are limbs of men,--Though at first she feels confin'd,Yet when all she brings to mind, Straight the spirit sings again.
1819.
IN the Koran with strange delight A peacock's feather met my sight:
Thou'rt welcome in this holy place, The highest prize on earth's wide face!
As in the stars of heaven, in thee, God's greatness in the small we see;For he whose gaze whole worlds bath bless'd His eye hath even here impress'd, And the light down in beauty dress'd, So that e'en monarchs cannot hope In splendour with the bird to cope.
Meekly enjoy thy happy lot, And so deserve that holy spot!
1815.
ALL kinds of men, both small and great, A fine-spun web delight to create, And in the middle they take their place, And wield their scissors with wondrous grace.
But if a besom should sweep that way:
"What a most shameful thing," they say,--"They've crush'd a mighty palace to-day."1815.
IT IS GOOD.
IN Paradise while moonbeams play'd,Jehovah found, in slumber deep, Adam fast sunk; He gently laidEve near him,--she, too, fell asleep.
