With Sa'di in the Garden or The Book of Love: Being The "Ishk" or Third Chapter of The "Bostcan" of the Persian Poet Sa'di: Embodied in a Dialogue Held in the Garden of The Taj Mahal, at Agra: By Sir Edwin Arnold |
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 | With Sa'di in the Garden |  |
vii
Proeme.
Sweet Friends! who love the Music of the Sun,And listened—glad and gracious—many an one,
While, on a light-strung lyre, I sought to tell
Indian Siddartha's wisdom; and the spell
Of Jayadev's deep verse; and proud deeds wrought
By Pandu Princes; and how gems are fraught
With meanings; and to count each golden bead
Of Allah's names of Beauty; and to read
High tender lessons Upanîshads teach—
“Secret of Death,” and subtle soul of speech
In holy OM; and to con—line by line—
The lofty glory of the “Lay Divine”—
Arjuna's speech with Krishna:—once more come,
And listen to the Vina and the Drum!
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To hear great Sa'di's tuneful mysteries—
“Nightingale of a thousand lays”—for he
Will, 'mid the Garden, sing in many a key
Rare Persian airs. But, tell them first, my Song!—
Lest they do thee, and me, and Sa'di wrong—
To come with hearts to gentle thoughts inclined,
Since this is only for the wise and kind;
And, of itself, our Garden shuts its gate
On him that's hard, cold, uncompassionate;
But opens wide its alleys, green and still,
To Sesamè of Love and fair Good-will!
Schooner Yacht “Hadassah,” off Portland,
July 12, 1888.
| With Sa'di in the Garden | |