University of Virginia Library

One of God's friends aforetime I besought,
To tell me what it was with him that wrought
To leave the world and turned his heart and soul
Unto the service of the One, the Whole.
“With all my heart,” he said and thus began:
“Erst on the Nile I was a ferryman
And there for hire, to earn my living, plied
Betwixt the Eastern and the Western side.
One day, upon the hither bank await,
After my wont, for custom, as I sate,
I, chancing on one side to turn my glance,
An old man saw of a bright countenance,
In a patched gown attired and in his hand
A gourd-bottle and staff, before me stand,
Who with “Peace be on thee!” saluted me
And I his greeting rendered him. Then he,
“Wilt thou for God's sake give me,” said, “to eat
And after ferry me, before the heat
Wax greater, over to the thither side?”
And I, “With all my heart I will,” replied.
So he sat down with me and drank and ate,
And after, entering my boat, there sate,
Whilst to the other bank I rowed him o'er.
But, ere he rose from me to go ashore,
He said to me, “I have a trust, on thee
Which I would lay.” Quoth I, “Say on,” and he,
“Know that the hermit such an one am I
And it hath been of God the Lord Most High
Revealed to me that now my end is nigh
And that to-morrow morning I shall die.
Wherefore to-morrow, after noon, to me
Do thou come over and beneath yon tree
Thou of a surety shalt find me dead.
Wash me and in the shroud, beneath my head
Which thou shalt find, enfold me; then, at hand,
Dig me a grave hard by and in the sand
Bury me, having first prayed over me.
But take my bottle, staff and gown to thee
And presently deliver them to one
Who shall come to thee, with the next day's sun,
And shall of thee require them and receive.”
This having said, he took of me his leave
And going, left me wondered at his word.

That day no more of him I saw nor heard
And on the morrow, by I know not what
Diverted from remembrance, I forgot
What he had said, until the time drew nigh
The hour of afternoontide prayer, when I,
Remembering me, to the appointed place
Hastened and found him dead with shining face
Under a palmtree, and beneath his head
A new shroud folded, that a fragrance shed
Of musk. I washed and shrouded him and prayed
O'er him, then dug a grave for him and laid
His body there and covered it with sand;
Then, his gourd-bottle, staff and gown in hand
Taking, back to the Western side I rowed
And there, as of my wont, the night abode.

Next day, as soon as with the risen sun
The city-gate was opened, there came one
To me, a young man, whom I knew by ear
For a lewd fellow and a chamberer,
Clad all in gold-wrought silk, hands henna-dyed,
Aloes and ambergris on every side
Breathing, and said, “Art thou not so and so,
The ferryman?” “Ay am I,” quoth I, “trow.”
“Then,” said he, “give me that which thou for me
In trust hast.” “What is that?” asked I; and he,
“The gown, the bottle and the staff, to wit.”
And I, “Who told thee,” said, “of them and it?”
Quoth he, “A friend of mine yest'reven made
A marriage-banquet and thereunto bade
His fellows and among his fellows, me.
So I and all the merry company
Did eat with him the marriage-meats and spent
The night in wantoning and revelment
And carolling and mirth till hard on day,
When down, to sleep and take my rest, I lay.
And as I slept, behold, beside me one
With countenance resplendent as the sun
There stood and said unto me, “Know, my son,
That God Most High hath taken such an one
The hermit to Himself, of His great grace,
And hath appointed thee to fill his place.
Wherefore do thou forthright to so and so
The ferryman, when thou awakest, go
And at his hands the dead man's gear receive,
Gourd, gown and staff, which he with him did leave
For thee.” ” Whereat to him I brought them out
And he, his raiment doffing, the patched clout
Did on and bade me sell his silken wede
And widows with the price and orphans feed.
Then, taking leave of me, the staff and gourd
He took and went without another word.
And I for wonder and for pity fell
A-weeping; but, that night, as I slept well,
The Lord of Glory (hallowéd be He
And blesséd!) in a dream appeared to me
And “O My servant, is it grievous,” said,
“To thee that I have granted, as he prayed,
One of My servants to return to Me?
Nay, this is of My bounties, verily,
That I to whom vouchsafe and when I will,
Who all things at My pleasure can fulfil.”
And I withal, from sleep awakening,
Did make and say the verses following;
The lover with the Loved of will bereft is quite: All choice to thee's forbid, if but thou know aright.
Whether to thee He grant favour and grace or hold Aloof from thee, no wise may blame upon Him light.
His very rigours, nay, except thou glory in, Away! thou hast no call to stand with the contrite.
Know'st not His presence from His absence? Then art thou In rear and that thou seek'st in front and out of sight.
If I be haled away to slaughter for Thy sake Or, yearning, yield Thee up the last spark of my spright,
'Tis in Thy hand. Hold off, grant or deny; 'tis one: At that which Thou ordain'st 'tis vain to rail or flite.
No aim in this my love I have but Thine approof: So, if aloof Thou will to hold, 'tis good and right.