Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/323

 even as He hath granted the two precedent, for right Bountiful and Beneficent is His Godhead, and Allah have mercy on him who said: [FN#506]-

Garb of Fakir, renouncement, lowliness; His robe of tatters and of rags his dress;

And pallor ornamenting brow as though 'Twere wanness such as waning crescents show.

Wasted him prayer a-through the long-lived night, And flooding tears ne'er cease to dim his sight.

Memory of Him shall cheer his lonely room: Th' Almighty nearest is in nightly gloom.

The Refuge helpeth such Fakir in need; Help e'en the cattle and the winged breed:

Allah for sake of him of wrath is fain, And for the grace of him shall fall the rain;

And if he pray one day for plague to stay, 'Twill stay, and 'bate man's wrong and tyrants slay.

While folk are sad, afflicted one and each, He in his mercy's rich, the generous leach:

Bright shines his brow; an thou regard his face Thy heart illumined shines by light of grace.

O thou who shunnest souls of worth innate Departs thee (woe to thee!) of sins the weight.

Thou thinkest to overtake them, while thou bearest Follies, which slay thee whatso way thou farest.

Didst wot their worth thou hadst all honour showed, And tears in streamlets from thine eyes had flowed.

To catarrh-troubled men flowers lack their smell; And brokers ken for how much clothes can sell;

So haste and with thy Lord reunion sue, And haply Fate shall lend thee aidance due,

Rest from rejection and estrangement-stress, And Joy thy wish and will shall choicely bless.

His court wide open for the suer is dight:-- One, very God, the Lord, th' Almighty might.'"

And they also tell a tale of