Behold a sun for thee, in mote contained and hid; A rampant lion, clad in pelt of gentlest kid. Behold a hidden sea, beneath a blade of grass. Beware! Tread not thereon in doubt. Thou sink’st, alas! 260 Doubt and incertitude, when felt in pious breast, Are mercies from on high; a leader gives them rest. A prophet ’s sole and solitary in the world. Sole; but within him bears a thousand systems furled. As though by magic, the vast universe he makes Around himself revolve, who smallest compass takes. The fools saw him alone; thence judged him some weak thing! Weak can he ever be who’s upheld by the King? Those fools thought: “He’s a man. He’s really nothing more.”[301] Alas, for fools! They’re void of common sense in store. 265 The prophet Sālih’s camel was, in form, a beast;[302] His people her hamstrung; ’twas ignorance, at least. They cut her off from water; drink they her refused. Ungrateful such return for meat and drink they’d used! “God’s camel” drank the water brought as dew by mists. God’s water they held back from God. Monopolists! Thus Sālih’s camel, as of saint the fleshly form, Became an ambush;--sinners’ ruin thence would storm! Upon that sinning race what dreadful judgment fell! “God’s camel and her drink”[303] the text is, us to tell. 270 God’s vengeance, as pursuer, sought from that vile crew The price of her shed blood, a country’s whole space through. The soul to Sālih’s like; his camel is the flesh; The soul communes with God; the flesh pines in want’s mesh. Good Sālih’s soul was safe from effort of their whim; His camel felt the blow they dared not aim at him. No hurt could fall on Sālih’s soul,--that priceless gem,— Such holy emanation was not sport for them. The soul unto the flesh is joined, by God’s decree, That it may be afflicted,--trials made to see. 275 Who hurts a body hurts also its soul, no doubt; The life-blood in that vase from being’s fount was brought. God enters in relation with material form, That He may be asylum to each earthborn worm. No man can inlet find to injure soul of saint; An oyster-shell is crushed; its pearl escapes attaint. Then serve the camel; that is, list to saint in flesh; And with his righteous soul thou’lt serve one Lord afresh.