“Do not abuse Time!” was the command of the Prophet. 1580 Oh, the memory of those days when Time’s sword Was allied with the strength of our hands![107] We sowed the seed of religion in men’s hearts And unveiled the face of Truth; Our nails tore loose the knot of this world, 1585 Our bowing in prayer gave blessings to the earth. From the jar of Truth we made rosy wine gush forth, We charged against the ancient taverns. O thou in whose cup is old wine, A wine so hot that the glass is well-nigh turned to water, 1590 Wilt thou in thy pride and arrogance and self-conceit Taunt us with our emptiness? Our cup, too, hath graced the symposium; Our breast hath owned a spirit. A new age hath been endued with our beauty 1595 And hath risen from the dust of our feet. Our blood hath watered God’s harvest, All worshippers of God are our debtors. The _takbír_ was our gift to the world,[108] Ka`bas were built of our clay. 1600 By means of us God taught the Koran, From our hand He dispensed His bounty. Although crown and signet have passed from us, Do not look with contempt on our beggarliness! In thine eyes we are good for nothing, 1605 Thinking old thoughts, despicable. We have honour from “There is no god but Allah,” We are the preservers of the universe. Freed from the vexation of to-day and to-morrow, We have pledged ourselves to love One. 1610 We are the conscience hidden in God’s heart, We are the heirs of Moses and Aaron. Sun and moon are still bright with our radiance, Lightning-flashes still lurk in our cloud. Our essence is the mirror of the Divine essence: 1615 The Moslem’s being is one of the signs of God. FOOTNOTES: [105] Founder of one of the four great Mohammedan schools of law. [106] The Prophet said, “I have a time with God of such sort that neither angel nor prophet is my peer,” meaning (if we interpret his words according to the sense of this passage) that he felt himself to be timeless. [107] The glorious days when Islam first set out to convert and conquer the world. [108] The _takbír_ is the cry “_Allah akbar_,” “Allah is most great.” XVIII _An invocation._