One heavy day I ran away from the grim face of society and the dizzying clamor of the city and directed my weary step to the spacious alley. I pursued the beckoning course of the rivulet and the musical sounds of the birds until I reached a lonely spot where the flowing branches of the trees prevented the sun from the touching the earth.
I stood there, and it was entertaining to my soul - my thirsty soul who had seen naught but the mirage of life instead of its sweetness.
I was engrossed deeply in thought and my spirits were sailing the firmament when a hour, wearing a sprig of grapevine that covered part of her naked body, and a wreath of poppies about her golden hair, suddenly appeared to me. As she she realized my astonishment, she greeted me saying, 'Fear me not; I am the Nymph of the Jungle.'
'How can beauty like yours be committed to live in this place? Please tell me who your are, and whence you come? ' I asked. She sat gracefully on the green grass and responded, 'I am the symbol of nature! I am the ever virgin your forefathers worshipped, and to my honor they erected shrines and temples at Baalbek and Jbeil.' And I dared say, 'But those temples and shrines were laid waste and the bones of my adoring ancestors became a part of the earth; nothing was left to commemorate their goddess save a pitiful few and the forgotten pages in the book of history.'
She replied, 'Some goddesses live in the lives of their worshippers and die in their deaths, while some live an eternal and infinite life. My life is sustained by the world of beauty which you will see where ever you rest your eyes, and this beauty is nature itself; it is the beginning of the shepherds joy among the hills, and a villagers happiness in the fields, and the pleasure of the awe filled tribes between the mountains and the plains. This Beauty promotes the wise into the throne the truth.'
Then I said, 'Beauty is a terrible power! ' And she retorted, 'Human beings fear all things, even yourselves. You fear heaven, the source of spiritual peace; you fear nature, the haven of rest and tranquility; you fear the God of goodness and accuse him of anger, while he is full of love and mercy.'
After a deep silence, mingled with sweet dreams, I asked, 'Speak to me of that beauty which the people interpret and define, each one according to his own conception; I have seen her honored and worshipped in different ways and manners.'
She answered, 'Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive. When you meet Beauty, you feel that the hands deep within your inner self are stretched forth to bring her into the domain of your heart. It is the magnificence combined of sorrow and joy; it is the Unseen which you see, and the Vague which you understand, and the Mute which you hear - it is the Holy of Holies that begins in yourself and ends vastly beyond your earthly imagination.'
Then the Nymph of the Jungle approached me and laid her scented hands upon my eyes. And as she withdrew, I found me alone in the valley. When I returned to the city, whose turbulence no longer vexed me, I repeated her words:
'Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive.'
The years through which aught that hath life, O Sun, Hath watched or felt thy rising, what are they To those vast æons when, from night to day, From dawn to dark, thy circuit thou didst run, With none to greet thee or regret thee; none To bless thy glowing harbinger of cloud, Rose-tinted; none to sigh when, like a shroud, The banner of Night proclaimed her victory won? Yet, through that reign of seeming death, so long To our imperfect ken, the marvellous force Which means to ends adjusts in Nature's plan Was bringing to the birth that eye of man, Which now, O Sun, surveys thy farthest course— A speck amid the countless starry throng.
The poem reflects on the vast expanse of time through which the sun has existed and its role in the universe. Here's a critical summary and analysis:
Summary:
The poem contemplates the immense epochs during which the sun has risen and set, stretching back to periods far beyond human existence. The speaker contrasts these vast aeons with the relatively brief span during which life on Earth, especially human life, has observed and felt the sun’s presence. The poem highlights the sun’s unacknowledged journeys through the cosmos before any beings existed to appreciate its light and warmth. Despite the long era of seeming emptiness, the natural processes were at work, leading to the emergence of humans who now have the capacity to observe and reflect upon the sun’s path.
Analysis:
Themes:
Time and Eternity:
The poem delves into the concept of time, contrasting the brief span of human history with the incomprehensible length of cosmic time.
The "vast aeons" represent an almost eternal past when the sun existed without any observers.
Existence and Observation:
There’s a significant focus on the existence of the sun before life, emphasizing the idea that the sun’s value and significance are not diminished by the lack of observers.
The emergence of human beings, who can now appreciate and contemplate the sun, is portrayed as a crucial development.
Nature’s Plan and Evolution:
The poem suggests that nature has a plan, where everything from the sun’s existence to the development of human beings is part of a grand design.
The "marvellous force which means to ends adjusts in Nature's plan" implies an inherent order and purpose in the natural world.
Structure and Form:
The poem is structured as a single, reflective stanza with a rhyme scheme that ties the lines together.
The use of enjambment helps to maintain the flow of thoughts and emphasizes the continuity of time and the seamless transition from one era to another.
Imagery and Symbolism:
The Sun: Symbolizes constancy and the passage of time. It also represents the source of life and enlightenment.
Night and Day: These opposing forces symbolize the cycle of existence, with the sun’s daily journey marking the rhythm of time.
The Birth of Human Sight: The "eye of man" symbolizes human consciousness and the ability to appreciate and reflect on the universe.
Tone and Mood:
The tone is contemplative and somewhat awe-inspiring, inviting the reader to ponder the vastness of time and the smallness of human existence in comparison.
The mood evokes a sense of wonder and humility, acknowledging both the insignificance and the significance of human life in the grand scheme of things.
Conclusion:
The poem elegantly explores the themes of time, existence, and the evolution of life, using the sun as a central metaphor. It reflects on the grandeur of the cosmos and the unique position of humans as conscious observers within it. The interplay between the eternal presence of the sun and the relatively fleeting existence of humanity provides a profound commentary on our place in the universe.
Then the priestess said, Speak to us of Prayer. And he answered, saying: You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.
For what is prayer but the expansion of yourself into the living ether? And if it is for your comfort to pour your darkness into space, it is also for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart. And if you cannot but weep when your soul summons you to prayer, she should spur you again and yet again, though weeping, until you shall come laughing. When you pray you rise to meet in the air those who are praying at that very hour, and whom save in prayer you may not meet. Therefore let your visit to that temple invisible be for naught but ecstasy and sweet communion. For if you should enter the temple for no other purpose than asking you shall not receive: And if you should enter into it to humble yourself you shall not be lifted: Or even if you should enter into it to beg for the good of others you shall not be heard. It is enough that you enter the temple invisible.
I cannot teach you how to pray in words. God listens not to your words save when He Himself utters them through your lips. And I cannot teach you the prayer of the seas and the forests and the mountains. But you who are born of the mountains and the forests and the seas can find their prayer in your heart, And if you but listen in the stillness of the night your shall hear them saying in silence, “Our God, who are our winged self, it is thy will in us that willeth. It is thy desire in us that desireth. It is thy urge in us that would turn our nights, which are thine, into days which are thine also. We cannot ask thee for aught, for thou knowest our needs before they are born in us: Thou art our need; and in giving us more of thyself thou givest us all.”
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