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BENZAQUEN: A Fragment
BOOK I
Soul of the East! Thou strong still angel whose great wings,
Stretched moveless in the air, outspread from Himalay
To Sinai and the dreaming Nile! Whose ponderings
Fill the rich womb of Asia with the sons of day!
Under the shadow of whose brooding thought the earth
Breeds mysteries and devotions! Shalt thou not alway,
As in the beginning, bring the lords of life to birth?
Stretched moveless in the air, outspread from Himalay
To Sinai and the dreaming Nile! Whose ponderings
Fill the rich womb of Asia with the sons of day!
Under the shadow of whose brooding thought the earth
Breeds mysteries and devotions! Shalt thou not alway,
As in the beginning, bring the lords of life to birth?
For we, whom Michael, the fierce spirit of the West,
Leads to the storm of Heaven with call of drum and fife,—
We are the lords of earth, lords of the endless quest,
Lords of the violent and immitigable strife,
Lords of the lightnings, lords of iron, lords of the Deed;
But thine, O East, the lords of life and the springs of life,
Lords of the void spaces of the soul's extreme need.
Leads to the storm of Heaven with call of drum and fife,—
We are the lords of earth, lords of the endless quest,
Lords of the violent and immitigable strife,
Lords of the lightnings, lords of iron, lords of the Deed;
But thine, O East, the lords of life and the springs of life,
Lords of the void spaces of the soul's extreme need.
Therefore to thee, as when at nightfall o'er the hills
The shadows creep and overhead the silent stars
Kindle their furtive fires, and all the deep heaven fills
With soundless splendors; then the warder Sleep unbars
The gates of dream—even so to thee we come and seek
Peace and the mirrored vision that no tumult mars,
The wisdom only Death and Night and Silence speak.
The shadows creep and overhead the silent stars
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With soundless splendors; then the warder Sleep unbars
The gates of dream—even so to thee we come and seek
Peace and the mirrored vision that no tumult mars,
The wisdom only Death and Night and Silence speak.
Under the cloudlike sweep of those unmoving pinions
Wherewith the soul of Asia floats and dreams unstirred,
High on the slope of that sheer mount whose peak dominions
The valley of Lake Van, roamed over by the Kurd,
Ali the poet lay, and fever crunched his bones;
And by him moved with gentle step and soothing word
The teacher, Benzaquen, and groaned but stilled his groans.
Wherewith the soul of Asia floats and dreams unstirred,
High on the slope of that sheer mount whose peak dominions
The valley of Lake Van, roamed over by the Kurd,
Ali the poet lay, and fever crunched his bones;
And by him moved with gentle step and soothing word
The teacher, Benzaquen, and groaned but stilled his groans.
At last the sick man slept; and Benzaquen arose
And walked along the soaring pathway, where beneath
The valley lay o'erpurpled; and across his brows
The wind laid its long fingers gently till his teeth
Relaxed their clenching and his heart grew calm. He sighed,
As one that wakes from a deep trance and with his breath
Drinks life in eagerly, and, “Gentle God,” he cried,
And walked along the soaring pathway, where beneath
The valley lay o'erpurpled; and across his brows
The wind laid its long fingers gently till his teeth
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As one that wakes from a deep trance and with his breath
Drinks life in eagerly, and, “Gentle God,” he cried,
“How comely in the morning is thy face; how fair
Among the valleys is the coming of thy feet!
The air is glad of thee; yea, as a maid the air
Trembles and blushes for her lover. Behold, the wheat
Bows down before thee in the sun; the sesame
Bends low beneath thy kisses, for thy lips are sweet;
The peaches and pomegranates stir and worship thee.
Among the valleys is the coming of thy feet!
The air is glad of thee; yea, as a maid the air
Trembles and blushes for her lover. Behold, the wheat
Bows down before thee in the sun; the sesame
Bends low beneath thy kisses, for thy lips are sweet;
The peaches and pomegranates stir and worship thee.
“How loving is the Lord God and how strong withal!
The fig-tree putteth forth her fruit in the fair weather;
The clusters of the vine hang purple on the wall:
But the north wind awakes and the black frost strides hither,
And the bare boughs stretch gaunt in prayer against their doom.
The hand of the Lord God is upon them and they wither;
The hand of the Lord God is upon them and they bloom.
The fig-tree putteth forth her fruit in the fair weather;
The clusters of the vine hang purple on the wall:
But the north wind awakes and the black frost strides hither,
And the bare boughs stretch gaunt in prayer against their doom.
The hand of the Lord God is upon them and they wither;
The hand of the Lord God is upon them and they bloom.
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“Praise him, ye hills; praise him, ye beech-trees of Sapan!
Praise him, sun and air and divine reach of blue!
Praise him, ye rivers; praise him, violet waves of Van!
Praise him, clouds and vapors and dear drench of the dew!
Praise him, ye caverns of Mount Ala, ye fountains welling
In the groves of Baghlar; for his tarrying is with you,—
Here is the garden of the Lord, and this is his dwelling.”
Praise him, sun and air and divine reach of blue!
Praise him, ye rivers; praise him, violet waves of Van!
Praise him, clouds and vapors and dear drench of the dew!
Praise him, ye caverns of Mount Ala, ye fountains welling
In the groves of Baghlar; for his tarrying is with you,—
Here is the garden of the Lord, and this is his dwelling.”
He ceased; his chin fell on his bosom and he wept,
For sudden longing smote him for the boy that lay
Sick in the cavern, his disciple; and he kept
Weeping, and willingly he could have turned to pray
The Divine Father of all to hear and save the youth,
But would not; so his heart grew heavier alway.
But him Sandalphon heard, the angel, and had ruth
For sudden longing smote him for the boy that lay
Sick in the cavern, his disciple; and he kept
Weeping, and willingly he could have turned to pray
The Divine Father of all to hear and save the youth,
But would not; so his heart grew heavier alway.
But him Sandalphon heard, the angel, and had ruth
And came to him; and like a wind he came whose touch
Rustles the leaves in Baghlar. Thereon Benzaquen
Lifted his eyes and saw him, in apparel such
As at Baghdad in the schools among the elder men
The young aspirant wears. “Master,” the angel said,
“Why weepest thou?” But he, not knowing him, again
Let fall his eyes and spake not, sad, uncomforted.
Rustles the leaves in Baghlar. Thereon Benzaquen
Lifted his eyes and saw him, in apparel such
As at Baghdad in the schools among the elder men
The young aspirant wears. “Master,” the angel said,
“Why weepest thou?” But he, not knowing him, again
Let fall his eyes and spake not, sad, uncomforted.
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The angel spake on: “In the streets of Van men say,
And in Kharput, that Ali, he who did not fail
In the hour when all rejected thee, and in the day
Of exile left thee not, thy comfort, waxeth frail
With fever and, without God, in three days is dead,
For even thy knowledge, wise hakim, doth not avail.”
And Benzaquen made answer unto him and said:
And in Kharput, that Ali, he who did not fail
In the hour when all rejected thee, and in the day
Of exile left thee not, thy comfort, waxeth frail
With fever and, without God, in three days is dead,
For even thy knowledge, wise hakim, doth not avail.”
And Benzaquen made answer unto him and said:
“Is my name heard in Van? Or in Kharput doth any
Remember me? How know they if I come or go?”
He paused with nostrils wide for scorn of many and many;
Then sighed again with “Son, all this thou sayest is so.
Why troublest thou me?” And Sandalphon answered sweet:
“Though I be young, I may speak wisdom; yea, although
I be not old, my conversation may be meet.
Remember me? How know they if I come or go?”
He paused with nostrils wide for scorn of many and many;
Then sighed again with “Son, all this thou sayest is so.
Why troublest thou me?” And Sandalphon answered sweet:
“Though I be young, I may speak wisdom; yea, although
I be not old, my conversation may be meet.
“Righteous hast thou been from thy youth; thy voice is heard,
Morning and evening, praising God. Thou hast put down
The atheist in the market-place, and with a word
Confuted them that doubt; the young men of the town
Heard thee and scorned the scoffers. Shall God, then, despise
Thy pleading, or if thou implore him, shall he frown?
Open thy heart to him, beseech him and be wise!”
Morning and evening, praising God. Thou hast put down
The atheist in the market-place, and with a word
Confuted them that doubt; the young men of the town
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Thy pleading, or if thou implore him, shall he frown?
Open thy heart to him, beseech him and be wise!”
Then Benzaquen rose up and answered, and his speech
Was wrathful: “Knowest thou so much, and knowest not this,—
That therefore was I cast out from among them that teach;
And therefore was my name writ down with words that hiss
And sear into my soul, Accurst; therefore, rebelling,
I bide alone and know no more my father's kiss;
Therefore the caverns of Mount Ala are my dwelling!
Was wrathful: “Knowest thou so much, and knowest not this,—
That therefore was I cast out from among them that teach;
And therefore was my name writ down with words that hiss
And sear into my soul, Accurst; therefore, rebelling,
I bide alone and know no more my father's kiss;
Therefore the caverns of Mount Ala are my dwelling!
“Because I would not speak vain words to the All Wise,
Nor blur discretion, babbling. Shall a man aspire
Before Him who controls the inexorable skies
To say This thing is good or That thing I desire?
Who then is he takes counsel with the Almighty? Who
Enlargeth knowledge and judgment for the Eternal Sire?
Who thinks to change his will, or mould his works anew?
Nor blur discretion, babbling. Shall a man aspire
Before Him who controls the inexorable skies
To say This thing is good or That thing I desire?
Who then is he takes counsel with the Almighty? Who
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Who thinks to change his will, or mould his works anew?
“Shall the iron argue with the smith what it would be?
Or shall the wrought iron reason with the iron-monger
To whom it would be sold? Though all men cry, shall He
Who shifts not, alter? The old seek safety and the younger
Folly; but his remorseless laws are not reversed.
Shall the fruits ripen ere their season if I hunger?
Or shall the desert give forth water if I thirst?
Or shall the wrought iron reason with the iron-monger
To whom it would be sold? Though all men cry, shall He
Who shifts not, alter? The old seek safety and the younger
Folly; but his remorseless laws are not reversed.
Shall the fruits ripen ere their season if I hunger?
Or shall the desert give forth water if I thirst?
“Consider the stars, how they obey their times and seasons;
Their rising and their setting has been fixed for aye.
When the recurring heavens shall fail, there may be reasons
To hope that God shall hearken unto them that pray. ...
But thou, if thou hast sought me not for disputation
Or pride of speech but kindly-hearted, make no stay,
But get thee to the city to the habitation
Their rising and their setting has been fixed for aye.
When the recurring heavens shall fail, there may be reasons
To hope that God shall hearken unto them that pray. ...
But thou, if thou hast sought me not for disputation
Or pride of speech but kindly-hearted, make no stay,
But get thee to the city to the habitation
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“Of Hafiz the physician; beg of him three grains
Of that elixir that the great Al-Mamun gave
When we two knew him at Baghdad. There yet remains
This one chance to redeem the sick man from the grave;
But save this I know not what hope there be in art.”
Sandalphon answered not; angelic natures crave
The soul's guest-welcome,—in the inhospitable heart
Of that elixir that the great Al-Mamun gave
When we two knew him at Baghdad. There yet remains
This one chance to redeem the sick man from the grave;
But save this I know not what hope there be in art.”
Sandalphon answered not; angelic natures crave
The soul's guest-welcome,—in the inhospitable heart
They have no power to enter, and they hold their peace.
Even so Sandalphon; and he bowed his comely head
With courtesy celestial, then between the trees
Departed. Benzaquen looked after as he sped
Down the steep pathway with so light a step it seemed
More like the swallow's flight along the ground than tread
Of a man walking. But even as he looked he dreamed
Even so Sandalphon; and he bowed his comely head
With courtesy celestial, then between the trees
Departed. Benzaquen looked after as he sped
Down the steep pathway with so light a step it seemed
More like the swallow's flight along the ground than tread
Of a man walking. But even as he looked he dreamed
Self-elsewhered and lost sight, and when he looked once more
Nought moving saw he save the cony in the rocks
And on the air the silent vulture far a-soar.
And as the shepherd turns at evening with his flocks
Foldward, and with the calm of nightfall in his thought
Feels, as he passes in the fields the restful ox,
Sweet kinship; so the teacher, strangely peaceful, sought
Nought moving saw he save the cony in the rocks
And on the air the silent vulture far a-soar.
And as the shepherd turns at evening with his flocks
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Feels, as he passes in the fields the restful ox,
Sweet kinship; so the teacher, strangely peaceful, sought
Again his cave,—and lo! upon a rock-shelf there
Lay the elixir. All the place was fraught about
With odor, and upon the sleeping Ali's hair
The sun fell like a mystic wine of light poured out
In cupfuls. Benzaquen stood motionless and gazed
Upon the vial with a wild and wondering doubt,
Silent, uncomprehending, ominous, amazed.
[OMITTED]
Lay the elixir. All the place was fraught about
With odor, and upon the sleeping Ali's hair
The sun fell like a mystic wine of light poured out
In cupfuls. Benzaquen stood motionless and gazed
Upon the vial with a wild and wondering doubt,
Silent, uncomprehending, ominous, amazed.
[OMITTED]
1893
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