What dost thou there?" exclaimed the king; "The ground here can no harvest bring; Break off from such unwise beginning,Thou'lt get no crop that's worth the winning."

The sower hears; his arm he sinks,

And, doubtful, he stands still and thinks;
Then goes he forward, strong and steady,
For the wise king this answer ready:-

"I've nothing else but this one field;
I've watched it, labored it and tilled.
What further use of pausing, guessing?

The corn from me,-from God the blessing."

FRIEDRICH RUECKERT

Translation from the German by N. L. Frothingham

58

SOLOMON AND THE ANT

Say Ar-Raheem! call Him "Compassionate,"
For He is pitiful to small and great.

'Tis written that the serving-angels stand
Beside God's throne, ten myriads on each hand,
Waiting, with wings outstretched and watchful
eyes,

To do their Master's heavenly embassies.

Quicker than thought His high commands they read,

Swifter than light to execute them speed;

Bearing the word of power from star to star,

Some hither and some thither, near and far.

And unto these naught is too high or low,
Too mean or mighty, if He wills it so;
Neither is any creature, great or small,
Beyond His pity, which embraceth all,
Because His eye beholdeth all which are;
Sees without search, and counteth without care.

How Gabriel, watching by the gates of gold,
Heard from the Voice Ineffable this word

Of twofold mandate uttered by the Lord:

66

*

Go earthward! pass where Solomon hath made
His pleasure-house, and sitteth there arrayed,
Goodly and splendid-whom I crowned the king-
For at this hour my servant doth a thing
Unfitting; out of Nisibis there came

A thousand steeds with nostrils all aflame
And limbs of swiftness, prizes of the fight;
Lo! these are led, for Solomon's delight,
Before the palace, where he gazeth now,
Filling his heart with pride at that brave show;
So taken with the snorting and the tramp
Of his war-horses that Our silver lamp
Of eve is swung in vain,—Our warning Sun
Will sink before his sunset prayer's begun;
So shall the people say, 'This king, our lord,
Loves more the long-maned trophies of his sword
Than the remembrance of his God.' Go in!

Save thou my faithful servant from such sin.

"Also, upon the slope of Arafat, Beneath a lote-tree which is fallen flat,

Toileth a yellow ant who carrieth home

Food for her nest, but so far hath she come,
Her worn feet fail, and she will perish, caught
In the falling rain; but thou, make the way naught
And help her to her people in the cleft

Of the black rock."

Silently Gabriel left

The Presence, and prevented the king's sin,
And holp the little ant at entering in.

O Thou whose love is wide and great,
We praise Thee, "The Compassionate."

SIR EDWIN ARNOLD

59

SOLOMON AND THE ANTS

Of all the kings of fallen earth,

The sun has never shone

On one to match in power and worth
With ancient Solomon.

Master of Genii and of Men,

He ruled o'er sea and land;
Nor bird in nest, nor beast in den,
Was safe from his command.

So passed he, gloriously arrayed,
One morning, to review

The creatures God on earth has made,
And give Him homage due.

Well busied in a valley near,

A troop of ants perceived

The coming pomp, and, struck with fear,
Death close at hand believed.

They cried: "What care the King and Priests
That here in splendor meet;
What care the Genii, birds or beasts,

For us beneath their feet?

"For what are we to them, and who
Shall check their mighty way?
Fly to your inmost homes, or rue
The glory of to-day."

The son of David's wondrous ear

No haughty mood beguiled;

He, bent the Ant's small voice to hear,
Beneficently smiled,

And prayed: "O God! the great, the good;
Of kings Almighty King!

Preserve my progress free from blood,
Or hurt to loving thing!

"Comfort these humble creatures' fear;

Let all Thy servants know
That I, Thy servant too, am here
Thy power, not mine, to show.

"That, 'mid the tumult and the tread
Of myriads, I will guard

Secure from hurt each little head,

As Thou wilt me reward."

And thus the Ants that marvellous scene

Beheld, as glad a throng,

As if their tiny forms had been

The strongest of the strong.

LORD HOUGHTON (RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES)

60

SOLOMON'S SIGNET

Wot ye of Solomon's signet, graved of a sapphire in gold,

Graved with the great name of God, writ on the blue of the stone?

Wisdom and riches and power had he who that treasure did hold;

Safe in the strength of the signet he sate on his ivory throne.

Only King Solomon knew how the dread letters did flow,

What was the breathing of Aleph, where came the whispering Yod;

When he spake the Ineffable Word, the sea-winds at bidding would blow;

And the hills yield their iron, and jewels, and gold, at the naming of God.

And out of the void of the sky, and up from the gulfs and the capes,

And forth from the caverns of earth, and down from the mountains of flame,