THE SEEING BY JOSEPH OF HIS FATHER AND MOTHER IN A DREAM, AND ASKING FOR HIS OWN DEATH FROM GOD.

Well done for whom his mournful state
Changes to union's hall propitious Fate.
His arms round fortune's beauteous idol close;
He parting's grief into oblivion throws,—
And when grief's dust his heart no longer sees,
Passes his days in happiness and ease.
Sudden the wind of ruin he may know,
And the Simoom of separation blow:
Its way to union's garden then it makes,
And of the tree of hope the branches breaks.
Her hope Zuleikha had from Joseph gained,
And in his union lasting ease obtained.
In joy of heart and mind she lived indeed,
And from the griefs of this world had been freed.
Thus did for many days her union last,
And in that bliss full forty years had passed,
That fruitful palm its fruit would aye renew
In children, nay, in children's children, too,
There was no earthly wish within her heart,
To her hope's table that would not impart.
Joseph one night towards the Mehráb lay;
Sleep's robber stopped of wakefulness the way.
He saw his father with his mother sit:
Their sunny face with veil of light was lit.
They cried to him: “Be thou aware, O son,—
“The days of absence hasten to be done.
“Thy feet on earthly clay and water place,
“To the soul's goal and home thy way to trace.”
From the Mehráb then Joseph took his way,
From dream awoke, to where Zuleikha lay.
His dream's full tale he told into her ear,
And to her quickly made his purpose clear.
The dream-like thought of absence he instilled;
Her soul with fire of separation filled.
From his own way the heart of Joseph ceased,
His longing for the eternal realms increased.
Out of the straits of lust his steps he bent,
And tow'rds the amplitude of myst'ries leant.
From earth he bore his mortal goods away,
And to th' eternal Mehráb turned to pray.
“O Thou who grantest the poor man's desire,
“And makest with a crown the lofty high'r,
“Who fortune's crown upon my head hast placed,
“The fortunate with which were never graced;—
“My heart is raised up from this transient land:
“The reins of government gives up my hand.
“Freed from myself, thy own road to me show,
“A mandate for th' eternal world bestow.
“The righteous who the road of faith pursued,
“To them near Thee high station has accrued.
“Among the common count me not below;
“At Thy high table nearness may I know!”
And when Zuleikha heard this secret word,
With smarting wound her inmost heart was stirred.
She surely knew that to his prayer from heaven,
A clear and speedy answer would be given.
No arrow from that bow e'er went away
To reach its aim, that ever knew delay.
To narrow hut she entered void of light,
Spread out her ringlets of the hue of night;
From grief of parting wreathed her head with dust,
Whilst on the ground her bleeding face she thrust.
Her joy and grief at odds and evens played,
And as the tears rained from her eyes, she said:
“O medicine of grief for those who mourn,
“Mender of robes for all whose hearts are torn,
“The aim of those themselves who hopeless find,
“Opening a way for those the ‘six doors’ bind;
“The key by which closed doors asunder part,
“The bandage-tier of the broken heart,
“Saver of those whom sorrow casts away,
“Light'ner of woes as hills that heavy weigh;
“A captive to my wounded heart, I bleed,
“And am much straitened in my every deed.
“In Joseph's absence must I ever pine.
“Oh! with his life take from my body mine!
“Without his beauty life to me no gain,
“In realm of being would I not remain.
“My life without him is a leafless tree;
“Eternal life without him death to me.
“Right by the laws of faith 'twould not appear,
“If I were still on earth and he not here.
“If his companion here I may not stay,
“Oh! first take me and then bear him away.
“Apart from him I do not wish to sit,
“Or see a world not by his beauty lit.”
Weeping in grief her time thus passed away,
Nor night to her was night, nor day was day.
Whosever heart may be with sorrow tight,
To him of one hue are both day and night.