Bird Parliament (translation Of) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEEFFGGHHIIJ JKKLLMMNNOO GGOOOO PPQQOORROOOOOSSTUVVW WOOXXOOOOYYZZA2A2B2B 2QQC2C2ZZZOOJJOOD2D2 OOE2 OOQQQF2F2OOOOG2G2Z OOGGOOZZSZF2F2OOOOOO GGOOZZGGGGOOH2H2GGOO GGF2F2O OOGGOOI2I2J2J2F2F2OO OO OOO ZOOOOQ O ZZOOGGOnce on a time from all the Circles seven | A |
Between the steadfast Earth and rolling Heaven | A |
The Birds of all Note Plumage and Degree | B |
That float in Air and roost upon the Tree | B |
And they that from the Waters snatch their Meat | C |
And they that scour the Desert with long Feet | C |
Birds of all Natures known or not to Man | D |
Flock'd from all Quarters into full Divan | D |
On no less solemn business than to find | E |
Or choose a Sultan Khalif of their kind | E |
For whom if never theirs or lost they pined | E |
The Snake had his 'twas said and so the Beast | F |
His Lion lord and Man had his at least | F |
And that the Birds who nearest were the Skies | G |
And went apparell'd in its Angel Dyes | G |
Should be without under no better Law | H |
Than that which lost all other in the Maw | H |
Disperst without a Bond of Union nay | I |
Or meeting to make each the other's Prey | I |
This was the Grievance this the solemn Thing | J |
On which the scatter'd Commonwealth of Wing | J |
From all the four Winds flying like to Cloud | K |
That met and blacken'd Heav'n and Thunder loud | K |
With Sound of whirring Wings and Beaks that clash'd | L |
Down like a Torrent on the Desert dash'd | L |
Till by Degrees the Hubbub and Pell mell | M |
Into some Order and Precedence fell | M |
And Proclamation made of Silence each | N |
In special Accent but in general Speech | N |
That all should understand as seem'd him best | O |
The Congregation of all Wings addrest | O |
- | |
And first with Heart so full as from his Eyes | G |
Ran weeping up rose Tajidar the Wise | G |
The mystic Mark upon whose Bosom show'd | O |
That He alone of all the Birds THE ROAD | O |
Had travell'd and the Crown upon his Head | O |
Had reach'd the Goal and He stood forth and said | O |
- | |
'O Birds by what Authority divine | P |
I speak you know by His authentic Sign | P |
And Name emblazon'd on my Breast and Bill | Q |
Whose Counsel I assist at and fulfil | Q |
At His Behest I measured as he plann'd | O |
The Spaces of the Air and Sea and Land | O |
I gauged the secret sources of the Springs | R |
From Cloud to Fish the Shadow of my Wings | R |
Dream'd over sleeping Deluge piloted | O |
The Blast that bore Sulayman's Throne and led | O |
The Cloud of Birds that canopied his Head | O |
Whose Word I brought to Balkis and I shared | O |
The Counsel that with Asaf he prepared | O |
And now you want a Khalif and I know | S |
Him and his whereabout and How to go | S |
And go alone I could and plead your cause | T |
Alone for all but by the eternal laws | U |
Yourselves by Toil and Travel of your own | V |
Must for your old Delinquency atone | V |
Were you indeed not blinded by the Curse | W |
Of Self exile that still grows worse and worse | W |
Yourselves would know that though you see him not | O |
He is with you this Moment on this Spot | O |
Your Lord through all Forgetfulness and Crime | X |
Here There and Everywhere and through all Time | X |
But as a Father whom some wayward Child | O |
By sinful Self will has unreconciled | O |
Waits till the sullen Reprobate at cost | O |
Of long Repentance should regain the Lost | O |
Therefore yourselves to see as you are seen | Y |
Yourselves must bridge the Gulf you made between | Y |
By such a Search and Travel to be gone | Z |
Up to the mighty mountain Kaf whereon | Z |
Hinges the World and round about whose Knees | A2 |
Into one Ocean mingle the Seven Seas | A2 |
In whose impenetrable Forest folds | B2 |
Of Light and Dark 'Symurgh' his Presence holds | B2 |
Not to be reach'd if to be reach'd at all | Q |
But by a Road the stoutest might apal | Q |
Of Travel not of Days or Months but Years | C2 |
Life long perhaps of Dangers Doubts and Fears | C2 |
As yet unheard of Sweat of Blood and Brain | Z |
Interminable often all in vain | Z |
And if successful no Return again | Z |
A Road whose very Preparation scared | O |
The Traveller who yet must be prepared | O |
Who then this Travel to Result would bring | J |
Needs both a Lion's Heart beneath the Wing | J |
And even more a Spirit purified | O |
Of Worldly Passion Malice Lust and Pride | O |
Yea ev'n of Worldly Wisdom which grows dim | D2 |
And dark the nearer it approaches Him | D2 |
Who to the Spirit's Eye alone reveal'd | O |
By sacrifice of Wisdom's self unseal'd | O |
Without which none who reach the Place could bear | E2 |
To look upon the Glory dwelling there ' | - |
- | |
One Night from out the swarming City Gate | O |
Stept holy Bajazyd to meditate | O |
Alone amid the breathing Fields that lay | Q |
In solitary Silence leagues away | Q |
Beneath a Moon and Stars as bright as Day | Q |
And the Saint wondering such a Temple were | F2 |
And so lit up and scarce one worshipper | F2 |
A voice from Heav'n amid the stillness said | O |
'The Royal Road is not for all to tread | O |
Nor is the Royal Palace for the Rout | O |
Who even if they reach it are shut out | O |
The Blaze that from my Harem window breaks | G2 |
With fright the Rabble of the Roadside takes | G2 |
And ev'n of those that at my Portal din | Z |
Thousands may knock for one that enters in ' | - |
- | |
Thus spoke the Tajidar and the wing'd Crowd | O |
That underneath his Word in Silence bow'd | O |
Clapp'd Acclamation and their Hearts and Eyes | G |
Were kindled by the Firebrand of the Wise | G |
They felt their Degradation they believed | O |
The word that told them how to be retrieved | O |
And in that glorious Consummation won | Z |
Forgot the Cost at which it must be done | Z |
'They only long'd to follow they would go | S |
Whither he led through Flood or Fire or Snow' | Z |
So cried the Multitude But some there were | F2 |
Who listen'd with a cold disdainful air | F2 |
Content with what they were or grudging Cost | O |
Of Time or Travel that might all be lost | O |
These one by one came forward and preferr'd | O |
Unwise Objection which the wiser Word | O |
Shot with direct Reproof or subtly round | O |
With Argument and Allegory wound | O |
- | |
The Pheasant first would know by what pretence | G |
The Tajidar to that pre eminence | G |
Was raised a Bird but for his lofty Crest | O |
And such the Pheasant had like all the Rest | O |
Who answer'd 'By no Virtue of my own | Z |
Suleiman chose me but by His alone | Z |
Not by the Gold and Silver of my Sighs | G |
Made mine but the free Largess of his Eyes | G |
Behold the Grace of Allah comes and goes | G |
As to Itself is good and no one knows | G |
Which way it turns in that mysterious Court | O |
Not he most finds who furthest travels for't | O |
For one may crawl upon his knees Life long | H2 |
And yet may never reach or all go wrong | H2 |
Another just arriving at the Place | G |
He toil'd for and the Door shut in his Face | G |
Whereas Another scarcely gone a Stride | O |
And suddenly Behold he is Inside | O |
But though the Runner win not he that stands | G |
No Thorn will turn to Roses in his Hands | G |
Each one must do his best and all endure | F2 |
And all endeavour hoping but not sure | F2 |
Heav'n its own Umpire is its Bidding do | O |
And Thou perchance shalt be Sulayman's too ' | - |
One day Shah Mahmud riding with the Wind | O |
A hunting left his Retinue behind | O |
And coming to a River whose swift Course | G |
Doubled back Game and Dog and Man and Horse | G |
Beheld upon the Shore a little Lad | O |
A fishing very poor and Tatter clad | O |
He was and weeping as his Heart would break | I2 |
So the Great Sultan for good humour's sake | I2 |
Pull'd in his Horse a moment and drew nigh | J2 |
And after making his Salaam ask'd why | J2 |
He wept weeping the Sultan said so sore | F2 |
As he had never seen one weep before | F2 |
The Boy look'd up and 'O Amir ' he said | O |
'Seven of us are at home and Father dead | O |
And Mother left with scarce a Bit of Bread | O |
And now since Sunrise have I fish'd and see | O |
Caught nothing for our Supper Woe is Me ' | - |
The Sultan lighted from his horse 'Behold ' | - |
Said he 'Good Fortune will not be controll'd | O |
And since Today yours seems to turn from you | O |
Suppose we try for once what mine will do | O |
And we will share alike in all I win ' | - |
So the Shah took and flung his Fortune in | Z |
The Net which cast by the Great Mahmud's Hand | O |
A hundred glittering Fishes brought to Land | O |
The Lad look'd up in Wonder Mahmud smiled | O |
And vaulted into Saddle But the Child | O |
Ran after 'Nay Amir but half the Haul | Q |
Is yours by Bargain' 'Nay Today take all ' | - |
The Sultan cried and shook his Bridle free | O |
'But mind Tomorrow All belongs to Me ' | - |
And so rode off Next morning at Divan | Z |
The Sultan's Mind upon his Bargain ran | Z |
And being somewhat in a mind for sport | O |
Sent for the Lad who carried up to Court | O |
And marching into Royalty's full Blaze | G |
With such a Catch of Fish as yesterday's | G |
The Sultan call'd and set him by h | - |
Edward Fitzgerald
(1)
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