King-Errant

"A blow or two and then the Fighting ends, The Sword seeks Scabbard, and the Warrior wends Through Death's wide Door. Were it not wiser then To sleep until Retreat its message s...

"Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes. See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes...

Kasim-beg was in a fever to leave Herat. Marriage, he said, was good, and it was proper to choose a cousin, who was doubtless charming; though for his part he believed the rathe...

Blest is the soul that is lifted above The paltry cares of Self's selfish love, Which adds no weight to another's care And gives no soul a burden to bear, Which takes what comes...

Fate had called a halt in Babar's life. A court had once more gathered round him, and, as King of Samarkand, a city of colleges and culture, this was of different stamp from tha...

The day of despair has come and the wind brings dust To bury the flowers; the song of the birds is hushed. Oh, day of despair pass swift! Let God's clouds lift.

"Like to a thunder cloud that rears itself In towering mass across the peaceful sky, Equal in threat, until the vivid snake Of lightning, shot--God knows from East or West! Flas...

In this world's inn, where sweetest song abounds There is no prelude to one song that sounds; The guests have quaffed their wine and passed away Their cups were empty and they w...

Yes! Love triumphant came, engrossing all The fond luxuriant thoughts of youth and mind; Then in soft converse did they pass the hours, Their passion like the season fresh and f...

I set Death's Door wide open for thee, Friend, That thou might'st go. I did not weep; I did not even send One sign of woe To follow, lest the way thou had'st to wend The harder...

"The Long Years slide, The Door of Life stands wide, Ghosts creep inside, With their dead fingers hide Present from Past. Dear God be kind! Grant that I keep enshrined Within my...

"Like a wide-spreading tree whose roots en-thread Earth's bosom, gaining Life from out a grave, So stood he stalwart while each weary head Sought for the shelter that his courag...

"Give me back one hour of Kabul! Let me see it ere I die. Ah! my heart is sick and heavy; Southern gales are not for me, Though the hills are white with winter; Place me there a...

He was altogether a bit ragged after his long wanderings. But he had come back from them wiser, steadier in mind, still stronger in body. The record of years of clean, hard livi...

In truth, Babar needed such a cherub in the first days of his King-ship, for Kasim and Hussan, his two advisers, fell foul of one another. The former, bluff, honest, facetious,...

The fortified town of Andijan lay hot in the spring sunshine. Outside the citadel, in the clover meadows which stretched from its gate to the Black-river (a tributary to the swi...

Those first few days of despair were as a dream. The world and all that is in it showed to Babar's eyes like a phantasy of sleep. He lay and rested at a friendly village, passin...

Noisy the Tavern where Life's wine has sped From variant cup to fuddle variant Head; Love peeps through crannied Door; each Drinker straight Flings cup aside to follow Her inste...

Good old St. Martini patron of the drunk! Lo! in thy summer thou givest potent draught To warm our cockles ere the world be sunk In winding sheet of snow. This is thy craft, O c...

Blessed is he who has not to learn How the favour of fortune may change and turn, Whose head is not raised in his high estate Nor his heart in misfortune made desolate. _Nizami_.

And it was a desert indeed! After the storm of war had come peace--at least comparative peace--and a flat calm was never to his taste even in youth. And here it was aggravated a...

All that night the Emperor sat in his tent working out his plan of attack. Even his brief connection with the red-cap Persian Army had given him an insight into a new science of...

I am the dust beneath thy feet, my sweet; Thou art the cloud that sprinkleth rain amain. Lo! as green tongues of grasses spring to bring Their thanks for moisture given to root...

Death stood among my flowers, his bright wings furled: "This bud I take with me to that still world Where no wind blows, where sunshine does not fade, Yon open rose is yours," h...

The Load of Love, nor Earth nor Heav'n can bear, Yet thou, Improvident! wouldst lightly wear The lovers' yoke, give up the flaming sword, Fool! Love only can bear love! Beware!...

Fate knocked at the Door of Death, My soul in her hollow hand. Angels opened it. Lo! God saith, To whom gave He this command? Take him back to the Gates of Life And set his feet...

So the months, even the years sped on bringing calm. Sometimes Babar felt a trifle regretful over the old storms. The glints of sunshine between had seemed, mayhap, the brighter...

"Then there is no hope to save Death," said Babar sternly. He stood, his face blanched, amongst a group of Court-physicians, professional prayer-makers, astrologers, sorcerers;...