Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 79. AL-TAWWAB, by EDWIN ARNOLD


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 79. AL-TAWWAB, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: At the gates of paradise
Last Line: Us to sweet peace and pity take.
Subject(s): God; Islam


Praise Him, Al-Tawwâb; if a soul repents,
Seven times and seventy times thy Lord relents.

At the gates of Paradise,
Whence the angry Angels drave him,
Adam heard in gentle wise
Allah's whisper, which forgave him:
"Go," it said, "from this fair place,
Ye that sinned; yet not despairing;
Haply there shall come a grace
And a guidance; and in fearing
Me, and following My will,
Blessèd shall your seed be still."

Know ye not that God receives
Gladly back the soul which grieves!
Know ye not that He relents
Ere the sinner well repents?
Terribly His justice burns,
Easily His anger turns.

Spake our Lord: "If one draw near
Unto God—with praise and prayer—
Half a cubit, God will go
Twenty leagues to meet him so.
He who walketh unto God,
God will run upon the road,
All the quicklier to forgive
One who learns at last to live."

Ya Tawwâb! for Thy mercy's sake,
Us to sweet peace and pity take.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net