How God draweth the Soul to Himself — The Soul's Desire sent Forth to Seek the Beloved One.

Eagle of the highest Heaven, gentle Lamb, Infolding Fire,

Kindle, glow in me.
Barren, thirsty, do I seek Thee,
Through the ages of desire,
One day as a thousand winters,
Waiting, Lord, for Thee.
Bitterer to the soul that loveth
Far from her Beloved to dwell,
Than the pit of doom to sinners--
An abyss there is profounder
Than the depths of hell.
The nightingale she can but sing,
For she is made of love's delight,
Of love bereft, what else were left
Than death and night?
Then spake the spirit to the soul--
"Arise, O Queen, and sing!
Behold, He comes, the Beloved One,
Behold the Bridegroom King!"
Then spake the soul in joyful fear--
"O blessed Herald, so might it be!
For I am faithless, guilty, vile,
In Him alone is there rest for me.
For me is no home beneath the skies,
No summer land, and no resting-place,
But the marvellous pity of His eyes,
And the sweetness of His Face;
And when all around the lights are dim,
The heart that sorroweth turns to Him."
The Herald said--
"Thou must watch and wait,
And water the earth, and strew the flowers."
But the soul made answer--
"The desolate
Must watch in prayer, and must wait in shame,
In tears must water, and long for the day;
But if as I strew the flowers He came,
From myself and my tears I should pass away.
For He strikes the chords of the heavenly lyre,
And sorrow and sadness turn and flee,

And the earthly love, and the earth's desire,

In that music sweet depart from me."
Thus spake the soul to her desire--
Then spake the Host--
Then sped the messenger swiftly home, and said--
And they ask--
The soul said--
"Speed forth afar and see
Where may my Belovèd be,
And say to Him, His love I crave.'"
Then fled the swift desire afar,
And rose beyond sun, moon, and star,
And called before the heavenly door,
"Lord, open unto me!"
"What need hast thou,
That thou dost thus implore?"
"O Lord, I come with the prayer of one
Who weepeth upon the earth alone--
The fish on the sand must pine."
"Go back! no door is unbarred to thee
Till thou bring the sorrowful soul to Me,
For the need is Mine."
"The Master calleth Come!
Arise and shine!"
Then she as on summer winds doth rise
In joyful flight through the starry skies,
And there meet her angels twain;
For God hath sent two angels fleet,
The well-belovèd soul to meet.
"What seekest thou thus afar?
With the dark earth art thou clad."
"Greet me better than so,
For to Him who loveth me well I go,
And I am no more sad.
Lo! dimmed as ye near the earth below,
Is the sweet light of your eyes;
And with light of God do I shine and glow
As aloft I rise."
Then with an angel on either hand,
The soul sped through the skies,
And when she came to the angel land,
To the country of Paradise,
She was a stranger guest no more,
For to her was opened the heavenly door,
She saw the Beloved Face.
Forth flowed her heart in weeping blest,
She said, "My Lord, I have found my rest
In the glory of Thy grace.
I needs must praise Thee and adore,
For evermore, for evermore.
Whence came I here? I am lost in Thee;
I can think no more of the earth below,
Nor of the sorrow and weeping there.
I had thought to tell Thee my grief and woe,
But, Lord, I have seen Thee, and nought I know,
But that Thou art fair."