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Bird
Parliament |
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Once upon a time from all Circles seven
Between the steadfast East and rolling Heaven,
Birds, of all Note, Plumage, and Degree,
That float in Air, and roost upon the Tree; |
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And
they that from Waters snatch their Meat,
And they that scour Desert with long Feet:
Birds of all Natures, known or not to Man,
Flock'd from all quarters into full Divan, |
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On no
less solemn business than to find
Or choose, a Sultan Qalif of their kind,
For whom, if never theirs, or lost, they pi'd |
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Snake
had his, 'twas said; and so the Beast
His Lion-lord: and Man had his, at least:
And that Birds, who nearest were the Skies,
And went apparel'd in its Angel Dyes, |
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Should
be without-under no better Law
Than that which lost all others in the Maw
Disperst without a Bond of Union-nay,
Or meeting to make each the other's Prey |
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This
was the Grievance-this the solemn Thing
On which the scatter'd Commonwealth of Wing
From all the four Winds, flying like to Cloud
That met and blacken'd Heav'n, and Thunder-loud |
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With
sound of whirring Wings and Beaks that clash'd
Down like a Torrent on the Desert dash'd:
Till by Degrees, the Hubbub and Pellmell
Into some Order and Precedence fell, |
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And,
Proclamation made of Silence, each
On special Accent, but in General Speech
That all should understand, as seem'd him best,
The Congregation of all Wings Addrest. |
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And
first, with Heart so full as from his eyes
Ran weeping, up rose Tajidar the Wise;
The mystic Mark upon whose Bosom show'd
That he alone of all the Birds THE ROAD |
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Had
travel'd: and the Crown upon his head
Had reach'd the Goal: and he stood forth and
said:-
"Oh Birds, by what Authority divine
I speak, you know, by His authentic Sign, |
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And
Name, emblazon'd on my Breast and Bill:
Whose Counsel I assist at, and fulfill:
At his Behest I measured as he plan'd
The Spaces of Air and Sea and Land; |
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I
gaug'd the secret sources of Springs
From Cloud to Fish: Shadow of my Wings
Dream'd over sleeping Deluge: Piloted
The Blast that bore Solomon's Throne: and led |
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The
Cloud of Birds that canopied his Head:
Whose Word I brought to Balkis: and I shar'd
The Counsel that with Asef he prepar'd.
And now You want a Qalif: and I know |
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Him,
and his whereabouts, and How to go:
And go alone I could, and plead your cause
Alone for all: but, by the eternal laws,
Yourselves by Toil and Travel to your own |
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Must
for your old Delinquency atone.
Where you indeed not blinded by the Curse
Of Self-exile, that still grows worse and worse,
Yourselves would not know that, though
"you" see him not, |
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He is
with you this Moment, on this Spot,
Your Lord through all Forgetfulness and Crime,
Here, There, and Everywhere, and through all Time.
But as a Father, whom some wayward Child |
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By
sinful Self-will has unreconcil'd,
Waits till the sullen Reprobate at cost
Of Long Repentance should regain the Lost;
Therefore, yourselves to see as you are seen, |
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Yourselves
must bridge the Gulf you made between
By such a Search and Travel to be gone
Up to the mighty mountain "Kahf",
whereon
Hinges the World, and round about whose Knees |
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Into
one Ocean mingle the Sev'n Seas;
In whose impenetrable Forest-folds
Of Light and Dark "Simorq" his presence
holds;
Not to be reach'd, if to be reach'd at all |
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But by
a Road the stoutest might appall;
Of Travel not of Days or Months, but Years-
Lifelong perhaps: of Dangers, Doubts, and Fears
As yet unheard of: Sweet of Blood and Brain |
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Interminable-often
all in vain-
And if successful, no Return again:
A Road whose very Preparation scar'd
Traveler who yet must be prepar'd. |
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Who
then this Travel to Result would bring
Needs both a lion's Heart beneath the Wing,
And even more, a Spirit purified
Of Worldly Passion, Malice, Lust, and Pride: |
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Yes
ev'n of "Worldly" Wisdom, which grows
dim
And Dark, the nearer it Approaches
"Him",
Who to the Spirit's Eye alone reveal'd;
By sacrifice of Wisdom's self unseal'd;
Without which none who reach the Place could bear
To look upon the Glory dwelling there.
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