@3Al-Wajid praise hereby that Watchful One Whose eyes see all things underneath the sun@1. By the Ten holy eves and the Dawns of gold! By the One and the Manifold! By the deepening of the Darkness of the night! (And these be oaths of might:) Hast thou considered what with Ad God wrought, And whereunto He brought Proud Iram of the pillared throne, Whose like no other land did own; And Thamûd's race, which hewed houses of rocks; And Pharaoh, strong for shocks As is a tent with tent-pegs driven deep? Lo! these their haughty state did keep, And multiply their wickedness; Till Allah, who long-suffering hath, Laid upon them the scourges of His wrath. Verily, as a "watchtower" is your Lord. Lo! if ye knew this, would ye shut your hoard When the poor cry; devour the weak; and love Your riches more than treasures stored above? Ho! when the earth's bones crack, And, rank on rank, the angels gather, And hell's black gates fly back, How will each say, "Would God in life's fair weather I had bethought me of this storm of hell!" But then it shall be well For thee, thou soul! to-day uncomforted, Who know'st that Allah sees; And patiently awaitest till He please Call thee to comfort, praising Him and praised. Joyous thou shalt be raised To Paradise, hearing His angels say, "Enter, and be exceeding glad to-day!" @3Al Wâjid! "Watcher!" save by grace, Who shall attain that happy place?@1 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...VIGNETTES OVERSEAS: 9. VILLA SEBELLONI, BELLAGGIO by SARA TEASDALE THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT by ROBERT BURNS THE HIGH-PRIEST TO ALEXANDER by ALFRED TENNYSON SS. SIMON & JUDE by JOSEPH BEAUMONT BRITANNIA'S PASTORALS: BOOK 2. THE THIRD SONG by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) THE LITTLE BLACKSMITH by ALICE CARY |