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THE SONG OF ISLÂM.
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The Poet Ferdusī had this name given him by his countrymen on account of the sweetness of his verses. The meaning of Ferdusī is “the Poet who came from Paradise.” When but a poor boy he sat down at the foot of the mountain Elbarg, and begun to write. “Boy,” said one who passed, “what are you writing?” He replied, “I am writing Shah Nameh,”—the story of a King. This was his answer, to all comers.
He sang not of love's delight
Of the day and the night and the world,
On the passing exquisite
Of a moment heaped and hurled,
Of the mingling of soul and breath,
Of the soft detaining kiss,
Of the step that hastens to bliss,
Of the clasp that lingereth;
He sang not the moment brief
That crowneth the cup of life
With flower and with fruit and with leaf.
He sang not the song of grief
With Antar, for Abla white
Of mourners and singers chief.
He sang not the song of strife
With Amr El Kais, vowed
To the cymbal clash, and the loud
Fierce clangour of battle proud;
Of the javelin's steely flight,
Of the flashing of spear and sword,
Of the wine that moveth aright
In the wine-cup freely poured.
He sang not of what men praise,
Of how men suffer, or grieve,
Of the little dust that we raise,
Of the little dust we leave;
Of the moving caravan,
Or the camel's patient march,
Or the skies' unmoving arch,
He sang not the song of man!
Of the day and the night and the world,
On the passing exquisite
Of a moment heaped and hurled,
2
Of the soft detaining kiss,
Of the step that hastens to bliss,
Of the clasp that lingereth;
He sang not the moment brief
That crowneth the cup of life
With flower and with fruit and with leaf.
He sang not the song of grief
With Antar, for Abla white
Of mourners and singers chief.
He sang not the song of strife
With Amr El Kais, vowed
To the cymbal clash, and the loud
Fierce clangour of battle proud;
Of the javelin's steely flight,
Of the flashing of spear and sword,
Of the wine that moveth aright
In the wine-cup freely poured.
He sang not of what men praise,
Of how men suffer, or grieve,
Of the little dust that we raise,
Of the little dust we leave;
Of the moving caravan,
Or the camel's patient march,
3
He sang not the song of man!
He sang of the light that breaks
When the thunder-cloud is riven,
He sang of the life that wakes
To a call that cometh from Heaven;
Of a Voice in the desert heard,
Of a cry at the midnight hour,
Of a strength that waiteth a word
Of the hiding of ancient power.
He sang of the life that takes
Its sleep in the arms of death,
Of the dawn through the dusk that breaks
That the darkness conquereth.
He sang of the light that sleeps
And burns in the hidden gem,
He sang of the light that leaps
And flames in the diadem.
He sang of the flowering rod,
Of the almonds blossoming,
He sang of the seed in the clod,
A dark unlovely
thing.
He sang of the blade through the sod,
That cleaves at the breath of spring,
He sang to the ear of God,
He sang the song of a King!
When the thunder-cloud is riven,
He sang of the life that wakes
To a call that cometh from Heaven;
Of a Voice in the desert heard,
Of a cry at the midnight hour,
Of a strength that waiteth a word
Of the hiding of ancient power.
He sang of the life that takes
Its sleep in the arms of death,
Of the dawn through the dusk that breaks
That the darkness conquereth.
He sang of the light that sleeps
And burns in the hidden gem,
He sang of the light that leaps
And flames in the diadem.
He sang of the flowering rod,
Of the almonds blossoming,
He sang of the seed in the clod,
4
He sang of the blade through the sod,
That cleaves at the breath of spring,
He sang to the ear of God,
He sang the song of a King!
The word Islâm (salvation) is founded upon the verb salm salama, which signifies to be tranquil, at rest, to have paid up, to be at perfect peace, and finally to hand over one's self to him with whom peace is made. The noun so derived means “peace, greeting, safety, salvation.” —Syed Ameer Ali Moulvi.
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