To the living one, commit the dead,
O’er the beast let earth and dust be spread,
And, so far as may extend your might,
What ye deem impure, conceal from sight.

Till your plains to graceful purity,
That the sun with joy your labours see;
When ye plant, your trees in rows contrive,
For he makes the Regular to thrive.

E’en the floods that through the channel rush
Must not fail in fulness or in gush;
And as Senderud, from mountain high,
Rises pure, in pureness must it die.

Not to weaken water’s gentle fall,
Carefully cleanse out the channels all;
Salamander, snake, and rush, and reed,—­
All destroy,—­each monster and each weed.

If thus pure ye earth and water keep,
Through the air the sun will gladly peep,
Where he, worthily enshrined in space,
Worketh life, to life gives holy grace.

Ye, by toil on toil so sorely tried,
Comfort take, the All is purified;
And now man, as priest, may boldly dare
From the stone God’s image to prepare.

When the flame burns joyously and bright,
Limbs are supple, radiant is the night;
On the hearth when fire with ardour glows,
Ripe the sap of plants and creatures grows.

Dragging wood, with rapture be it done,
’Tis the seed of many an earthly sun;
Plucking Pambeh, gladly may ye say:—­
This, as wick, the Holy will convey.

If ye meekly, in each burning lamp,
See the nobler light’s resplendent stamp,
Ne’er will Fate prevent you, void of feeling,
At God’s throne at morningtide from kneeling.

This is Being’s mighty signet, then,
God’s pure glass to angels and to men;
Each word lisped the Highest’s praise to sound,
Ring in ring, united there is found.

From the shore of Senderud ascendeth,
Up to Darnawend its pinions bendeth,
As He dawns, with joy to greet His light,
You with endless blessings to requite.

1819.*
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XII.   CHULD name.

BOOK OF PARADISE.

The privileged men.

After the battle of bade, beneath the canopy of heaven.

[This battle was fought in the second year of the Hegira (A.A. 623), between the followers of Mahomet, who numbered three hundred and thirteen, possessing two horses and seventy camels, and the ‘idolaters,’ or Meccans, whose forces amounted to nine hundred and fifty, including two hundred cavalry.  The victory remained with Mahomet, who lost fourteen men, while seventy of the enemy were slain.  A great accession of strength ensued in consequence to the Prophet, who pretended that miracles were wrought in his behalf in the battle, God having sent angels to fight on his side, and having also made his army to appear larger to the enemy than it really was.—­See the Koran, chapter viii., and ABULFEDA’S Life of Mahomet.]