III. The Jewish King, Persecutor of the Christians
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
And straightway set up preaching; saintlike was he there.40
The Christians soon with one accord accepted him,
In multitudes they round him flocked, all meek and prim.
The Gospel’s holy words, the prayer, the cord, he’d preach;
The mysteries of all of these to them he’d teach.
To outward view a guide to sanctity was he;
In very truth, a trap and fowler’s whistle; see.
Of such effect his wiles, disciples were deceived;
From Jesu’s teaching fell, and in this cheat believed.
It is so. Often does the flesh, for selfish end,
Intrude itself across the soul’s most fervent trend.45
Meek virtue was not what they sought to gain the most;
Of him they learned to ferret out new sins, and boast.
Hair-splitting casuists, point by point they sin dissect;
They grow too wise; ’twixt rose and garlic links detect.
Of such avail’s the subtle cunning of these men,
That honest teachers oft are made to swerve by them.
The Christian folk in him their confidence thus place.
Gregarious, like sheep, ’s the mob of every race.
A gen’ral favourite was he; all loved him well;
Christ’s vicar called they him; as who the truth could tell.50
This cursed Antichrist, so full of fraud and wile!
Grant help, O God! ’Tis Thou alone canst curb such guile.
The devil’s snares are spread abroad in tempting guise,
Their baits are various; we, like birds, shut fast our eyes.
If saved from one, another tempts; we thither stray;
Like hawks and eagles, heinous sins make us their prey.
Thou shieldest us, O gracious God! But ever still,
With froward hearts and minds we counteract Thy will.
This world’s a granary, of which we steal the corn.
The wheat is there all garnered; we it spoil in scorn.55
We take no heed of future life in what we do;
Sly mice still help us to consume the fruits that grow,
Those mice a road have found to reach our winter store.
Through their inroads our victual spoils; it is no more.
First stop mouse-holes; make safe thy granary, O man!
Thy wheat then garner safely; winter’s at our van.
Give ear to what he’s said, the Lord’s own Chief of Chiefs:84
“No perfect worship’s needed, save in war’s reliefs.”85
If mice there be not to destroy our garnered meeds,