Page:The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 08.djvu/71



On the dread day of final scrutiny

Thou wilt be rated by thy quality;

Get wisdom and fair qualities to-day,

For, as thou art, requited wilt thou be.

Many fine heads, like bowls, the Brazier made,

And thus his own similitude portrayed;

He sets one upside down above our heads,

Which keeps us all continually afraid.

My true condition I may thus explain

In two short verses which the whole contain:

"From love to Thee I now lay down my life,

In hope Thy love will raise me up again.

The heart, like tapers, takes at beauty's eyes

A flame, and lives by that whereby it dies;

And beauty is a flame where hearts, like moths,

Offer themselves a burning sacrifice.

To please the righteous life itself I sell,

And, though they tread me down, never rebel;

Men say, "Inform us what and where is hell?"

Ill company will make this earth a hell.

The sun doth smite the roofs with Orient ray

And, Khosrau like, his wine-red sheen display;

Arise, and drink! the herald of the dawn

Uplifts his voice, and cries, "Oh, drink to-day!"