Youth Restored

For what sweeter joy can a lover yearn
Than to love his love and be loved in return ;
To bear to her bower his burthen of woes,
And find the sweet comfort which love bestows ;
To tell the dear hopes of his heart and repeat
The tales of old time at his darling’s feet ?
When Yusuf, freed from the pomp and din,
Had sought his chamber and entered in,
A chamberlain cried at the door : “ O best
Of princes, famous from east to west,
That ancient woman in beggar’s weed,
Who laid her hand on the rein of thy steed,
Whom by thine order I hade appear
This day in thy presence, is waiting here.”
“ Go, hear her petition,” thus Yusuf replied,
“ Is she poor and in want, for her need provide.”
“ She is not,” said the chamberlain, “ one of those
Who will tell me the tale of her need and woes.”
“ Admit her,” said Yusuf, “ that, face to face,
She may lift the veil of her mournful case.”
Zulaikha came in, when permission was won,
As free as the motes in the light of the sun.
Like a bud she expanded : the lips that were pale
Smiled bright as a rose, and she bade him hail.
He asked her her name an d her home, the while
He marvelled much at that joyous smile.
“ I am she who chose thee,” she cried ; “ and thou,
Since that one first glance, hast been loved till now ;
To whom, bought with my wealth, I devoted the whole
True love of my heart and my mind and my soul.
I cast for thy sake my young life to the wind.
And age has come o’er me and youth declined.
Thine arms for a consort this realm have embraced.
And I am unpitied, forgotten, disgraced.”
'.From his eye the big tears of compassion fell
As he heard the tale he remembered so well.
“ Zulaikha,” he said, “ what unhappy fate
Has brought thee down to thy low estate ? ”
When she heard her beloved her name express,
Zulaikha fell prostrate, Zulaikhaless.
The wine of unconsciousness boiled in her heart,
And the sense from her body was riven apart.
Then thus began Yfisuf, as slowly at length
Zulaikha recovered her senses and strength :
“ Where is thy youth, and thy beauty, and pride ? ”
" Gone, since I parted from thee,” she replied.
“ Where is the light of thine eye ? ” said he,
“ Drowned in blood-tears for the loss of thee.”
“ Why is that cypress-tree bowed and bent ? ”
“ By absence from thee and my long lament.”
“ Where is thy pearl, and thy silver and gold.
And the diadem bright on thy head of old ? ”
“ She who spoke of my loved one,” she answered, “ shed,
In the praise of thy beauty, rare pearls on my head.
In return for those jewels, a recompense meet,
I scattered my jewels and gold at her feet.
A crown of pure gold on her forehead I set,
And the dust that she trod was my coronet.
The stream of my treasure of gold ran dry ;
My heart is love’s storehouse, and I am I”
Again, spoke Yusuf : — “ Zulaikha, say,
What is the wish of thy heart to-day ? ”
“ My prayer,” she answered, “ wilt thou refuse ;
But no help save thine can I wish or choose.
And if with an oath thou wilt pledge thy word,
To utter that prayer shall my tongue he stirred.
If not, in silence my lips I close,
And give my soul back to my life of woes.”
“ By the truth of that Father who reared of yore
The temple of prophecy,” thus he swore;
“ To whom a tulip bloomed forth in the flame,
And from heaven a robe of high honour came ;
Abraham.
Whatever thy will be this day, I vow —
If I have but the power — I will grant it now.”
“ First, my beauty,” she cried, “ and my youth restore
In the pride and splendour thou knewest before ;
Then add the gift of new sight to those.
To see thee and cull from thy cheek a rose.”
He moved his lips and his prayer began
While the healing stream from his pure mouth ran.
The beauty returned which was ruined and dead,
And her cheek gained the splendour which long had fled.
Again shone the waters which sad years had dried,
And the rose-bed of youth bloomed again in its pride.
The musk was restored and the camphor withdrawn,
And the black night followed the grey of the dawn.
The cypress rose stately and tall as of old :
The pure silver was free from all wrinkle and fold.
From, each musky tress fled the traces of white :
To the black narcissus came beauty and light.
The halo of youth round her age was seen :
For the forty-years’ dame stood a girl of eighteen ;
Yes, fairer and brighter in loveliness stood
Than in days of her ripening maidenhood.
Again said Yusuf : — “ O thou most fair,
If a wish now be left thee, that wish declare.”
“ The one sole -wish of my heart,” she replied,
“ Is still to he near thee, to sit by thy side ;
To have thee by day in my happy sight,
And to lay my cheek on thy foot at night ;
To lie in the shade of the cypress and sip
The sugar that lies on thy ruby lip ;
To my wounded heart this soft balm to lay :
For naught beyond this can I wish or pray.
The streams of thy love will new life bestow
On the dry thirsty field where its sweet waters flow.”
When Yusuf the prayer of Zulaikha had heard,
He bowed down his head and he spoke no word,
To the world unseen were his eyes turned away,
And he gave her no answer of Yea or Nay.
Then a sound on his ear, as he doubted, fell,
And he knew J twas the wing-beat of Gabriel.
Thus spoke the Angel : “ To thee, O king,
From the Lord Almighty a message I bring.
‘ Mine eyes have seen her in humble mood ;
I heard her prayer when to thee she sued.
At the sight of her labours, her prayers, and sighs,
The waves of the sea of My pity rise.
Her soul from the sword of despair I free,
And here from My throne I betroth her to thee.”