’TIS written in the chapter of “the Cave,” | |
| An Angel of the Lord, a minister, | |
| Had errands upon earth, and Moses said, | |
| “Grant me to wend with thee, that I may learn | |
| God’s ways with men.” The Angel answering, said: | 5 |
| “Thou canst not bear with me; thou wilt not have | |
| Knowledge to judge; yet if thou followest me, | |
| Question me not, whatever I shall do, | |
| Until I tell thee.” | |
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| Then they found a ship | 10 |
| On the sea-shore, wherefrom the Angel struck | |
| Her boards and brake them. Moses said, “Wilt drown | |
| The mariners? This is a strange thing wrought!” | |
| “Did I not say thou couldst not bear with me?” | |
| The Angel answered—“Be thou silent now!” | 15 |
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| Yet farther, and they met an Arab boy; | |
| Upon his eyes with mouth invisible | |
| The Angel breathed; and all his warm blood froze, | |
| And, with a moan, he sank to earth and died. | |
| Then Moses said, “Slayest thou the innocent | 20 |
| Who did no wrong? this is a hard thing seen!” | |
| “Did I not tell thee,” said the Minister, | |
| “Thou wouldst not bear with me? Question me not!” | |
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| Then came they to a village, where there stood | |
| A lowly hut; the garden-fence thereof | 25 |
| Toppled to fall; the Angel thrust it down. | |
| A ruin of gray stones, and lime, and tiles, | |
| Crushing the lentils, melons, saffron, beans, | |
| The little harvest of the cottage folk. | |
| “What hire,” asked Moses, “hadst thou for this deed. | 30 |
| Seeming so evil?” | |
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| Then the Angel said, | |
| “This is the parting betwixt me and thee: | |
| Yet will I first make manifest the things | |
| Thou couldst not bear, not knowing, that my Lord— | 35 |
| ‘Exalted above all reproach’—be praised. | |
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| The ship I broke serveth poor fisherfolk | |
| Whose livelihood was lost, because there came | |
| A king that way seizing all boats found whole: | |
| Now they have peace. Touching the Arab boy, | 40 |
| In two moons he had slain his mother’s son, | |
| Being perverse; but now his brother lives | |
| Whose life unto his tribe was more, and he | |
| Dieth blood-guiltless. For the garden wall, | |
| Two goodly youths dwell there, offspring of one | 45 |
| That loved his Lord, and underneath the stones | |
| The father hid the treasure, which is theirs. | |
| This shall they find, building their ruin up, | |
| And joy will come upon their house! | |
| But thou, | 50 |
| Journey no more with me, because I do | |
| Nought of myself, but all by Allah’s will.” | |
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