011

Drunk with self hood like a wave Plunge into the stormy lave; Who commanded thee to sit With thy skirts about thy feet?

Let the tiger be thy prey; Leave the mead and flowers gay, Out toward the mountain press, Tent thee in the wilderness.

Cast thy strangling rope on high, Circle sun and moon in sky, Seize a star from heaven’s sphere, Stitch it on thy sleeve to wear.

Selfhood’s wine, as I have guessed, Tart and bitter is to taste, Yet regard thy pain within— Drain our desperate medicine

012

Out of Hijaz and the lonely plain The Guide of the Time is come, Back from the far, far vale again The Caravan hastens home.

Lo, on the brow of the slaves I see The Sultan’s splendour bright, The dust of Ayaz shines radiantly With Mahmud’s torch alight.

In Ka‘bah and Temple long, long years The deep lament arose, Till from Love’s banquet now appears One Man who the Secret knows.

The sighs that out of the bosom break Of a people at earnest prayer A brave and new foundation make In Life’s mind everywhere.

O take the trembling lute from me, For my hand can play no more; In streams of blood my melody From the heart of the harp doth pour.

013

Of the Sultan I would take One gaze, if so I may; Muslim I, I do not make A god of clay.

See, the independent heart That in my breast I bear To the beggar doth impart A regal air.

What doth on the tulip fall Out of the starry sky, O’er the verdant herbage all Now scatter I.

Ranging through the Infinite My thought begs never boon, As the Pleiades crave light From sun and moon.

But if any wandering sun Toward my path should stray, With a smile I make it run Far from the way.

With the lustre and the flame That Nature hath endowed Like a lightning flash I gleam In a dark cloud.

Well I know the wont and way Of them that rule, aloof Joseph’s in the well, and they Asses, on roof!

014

Like the dervish drunken be; Quaff the wine cup instantly, And, when thou art bolder grown, Hurl thyself on Jamshid’s throne

‘‘This our world,” they asked of me, “Is’t congenial to thee?” “Nay”, I answered; and they cried, “Break and strew it far and wide!”

In the taverns I saw none Meet to be companion; Get thee less with tavern boys Smite with Rustam and rejoice!

Tulip in the desert bright, Burn thou not in lonely light; Let thy heart consuming glow Blaze in Adam’s bosom, too.

Thou’rt His fiery inward mood, Thou the fever of His blood; Dost thou not believe? Go, rend This world’s body, end to end.

Is the Mind thy lamp? To‐day, Set it out upon the war; Is thy beaker Love? Drink wine With some trusty mate of thine.

015

Greed is acting still his play This world to dominate; What new turbulence, I pray, Behind Heaven’s veil doth wait?

Now and now Mind breaketh through What idols it designed; Come, for Love believeth true, And infidel is Mind.

Thou’rt the Leader of the train; Then labour fiercely still; In our tribe, he rule doth gain Who hath a warrior’s will.

Thou hast closed thine eyes, and said, “The world’s a dream, no less”: Ope thine eyes; this dream abed Is all of wakefulness.

In thy solitude, alone, Create a company: Love, that’s made to know the One, The Many loves to see.

But an instant quivered be Ere to the saddle bound— Fortunate gazelle, to he So singled out to wound!

In the garden and the mead I sow my jewelled air; Precious goods, yet cheap indeed When there are none to hear.