When swift the Camel-rider spans the howling waste, by Kismet sped,
And of his Magic Wand a wave hurries the quick to join the dead.

“Eat, drink, and sport; the rest of life’s not worth a fillip,” quoth the King;
Methinks the saying saith too much: the swine would say the selfsame thing!

How coming to the Feast unbid, he found the gorgeous table spread
With the fair-seeming Sodom fruit, with stones that bear the shape of bread:

“You changeful finite Creatures strain” (rejoins the Drawer of the Wine)
“The dizzy depths of Inf’inite Power to fathom with your foot of twine;

“You bring down Heav’en to vulgar Earth; your Maker like yourselves you make,
“You quake to own a reign of Law, you pray the Law its laws to break;

“And when, at length, ‘Great Pan is dead’ uprose the loud and dol’orous cry,
“A glamour wither’d on the ground, a splendour faded in the sky.

Where then “Th’ Eternal nature-law by God engraved on human heart”?
Behold his simiad sconce and own the Thing could play no higher part.

Life is a ladder infinite-stepped, that hides its rungs from human eyes;
Planted its foot in chaos-gloom, its head soars high above the skies:

“Who drinks one bowl hath scant delight; to poorest passion he was born;
“Who drains the score must e’er expect to rue the headache of the morn.”

“You all are right, you all are wrong,” we hear the careless Soofi say,
“For each believes his glimm’ering lamp to be the gorgeous light of day.”

Finds mirth and joy in Jamshid-bowl; toys with the Daughter of the vine;
And bids the beauteous cup-boy say, “Master I bring thee ruby wine!”

But! – faded flow’er and fallen leaf no more shall deck the parent tree;
And man once dropt by Tree of Life what hope of other life has he?