Page:The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 08.djvu/106



O rose! all beauties' charms thou dost excel,

As wine excels the pearl within its shell;

O fortune! thou dost ever show thyself

More strange, although I seem to know thee well!

From this world's kitchen crave not to obtain

Those dainties, seeming real, but really vain,

Which greedy worldlings gorge to their own loss;

Renounce that loss, so loss shall prove thy gain!

Plot not of nights, thy fellows' peace to blight,

So that they cry to God the live-long night;

Nor plume thee on thy wealth and might, which thieves

May steal by night, or death, or fortune's might.

This soul of mine was once Thy cherished bride,

What caused Thee to divorce her from Thy side?

Thou didst not use to treat her thus of yore,

Why then now doom her in the world to abide?

Ah! would there were a place of rest from pain,

Which we, poor pilgrims, might at last attain,

And after many thousand wintry years,

Renew our life, like flowers, and bloom again!

While in love's book I sought an augury;

An ardent youth cried out in ecstasy,

"Who owns a sweetheart beauteous as the moon

Might wish his moments long as years to be!"