The Complaint Part 4

For those who walk Your chosen way a world of dreams its glamour throws! So be it then, so let us pass, let other nations hold the sway— When we are gone, reproach us not that tawhid too has passed away! We live here only that Your Name may live here in men’s minds enshrined; Can saki bid his last adieu and leave Love’s cup and wine behind? Your court-yard empties. They depart who came to worship and adore; The midnight’s sighs, the dawn’s lament, now You wilt miss for evermore! They came, they gave their hearts to You, they had their recompense, and went. But hardly they had seated been when from Your Presence they were sent! They came glad lovers, begging love; with future promise turned away: Go, shine Your Beauty’s lamp about and seek and win them if You may! The love of Layla burneth still, And Majnun passion’s yearning knows; In hill and valley of the Nejd the fleet gazelle still leaping goes; The soul of Love is still the same, still, Beauty’s magic charms enthral, Your Ahmad’s feemen still abide; and You art there, the soul of all. Then Stranger! why estranged today the bond of love ‘twixt You and Yours? Upon the Faithful, O Unkind, why frowns Your eye of wrath Divine? Did we forswear our faith to You? to Your Dear Prophet cease to cling? Of idol-breaking did we tire? or take to idol-worshipping? Or did we weary of Your Love, or Your Love’s rapture ever shun? Or turned we from the path which trod Qaran’s Owais and Salman? Your Takbeer’s unextinguished flame within our hearts we cherish yet: Aethiop Belal’s life, the star by which our own lives’ course we set! But even if a change has been, and we in Love are less adept, Or out of resignation’s path our erring wayward feet have stept; If, unlike trusted compasses, our souls respond not now to you, And if to laws of faithfulness our roving hearts are now less true ; Must You too play the fickle flirt with us, with others, day by day, We cannot help the sinful thought which shame forbids our lips to say. Upon the peak of Mount Faran Your glorious Faith You didst perfect— With one Divinest gesture drew a host of fervid first-elect; Your flaming Beauty filled the world and set a myriad hearts on fire; Then blew the quintessence of Love in Man to passion’s wild desire. Ah, why within our deadened hearts that holy flame today leaps not? Though still those burnt-out victims we which once we were, have You forgot? Upon the dale of Nejd is stilled the clanging of the captive’s chains;