The Parliament of Birds

Saint Rabe'eh for seven years had trod
The pilgrimage to Mecca and her God.
Now drawing near the goal she cried: 'At last
I've reached the Ka'abah's stone; my trials are past' --
Just at that moment the aspiring saint
Succumbed to woman's intimate complaint --
She was impure; she turned aside and said:
'For seven years a pilgrim's life I've led,
And as I reach the throng of pilgrims He
Plants this unlooked-for thorn to hinder me;
Dear God, give access to your glorious home,
Or send me back the weary way I've come.'
No lover lived as true as Rabe'eh,
Yet look, she too was hindered on the Way.
When first you enter Wisdom's sea, beware --
A wave of indecision floods you there.
You worship at the Ka'abah's shrine and then
You're weeping in some worthless pagan's den;
If from this whirlpool you can raise your head,
Tranquillity will take the place of dread.
But if you sink into its swirl alone
Your head will seem some mill's enormous stone;
The least distraction will divert your mind
From that tranquillity you hoped to find.