Well busied in a valley near,

A troop of ants perceived

The coming pomp, and, struck with fear,

Death close at hand believed.

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They cried: What care the King and Priests That here in splendor meet;

What care the Genii, birds or beasts,

For us beneath their feet?

"For what are we to them, and who
Shall check their mighty way?
Fly to your inmost homes, or rue
The glory of to-day.”

The son of David's wondrous ear

No haughty mood beguiled;

He, bent the Ant's small voice to hear,
Beneficently smiled,

And prayed: "O God! the great, the good;
Of kings Almighty King!

Preserve my progress free from blood,
Or hurt to loving thing!

"Comfort these humble creatures' fear;

Let all Thy servants know
That I, Thy servant too, am here

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Thy power, not mine, to show.

'That, 'mid the tumult and the tread

Of myriads, I will guard

Secure from hurt each little head,

As Thou wilt me reward."

And thus the Ants that marvellous scene

Beheld, as glad a throng,

As if their tiny forms had been

The strongest of the strong.

LORD HOUGHTON (RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES)

60

SOLOMON'S SIGNET

Wot ye of Solomon's signet, graved of a sapphire in gold,

Graved with the great name of God, writ on the blue of the stone?

Wisdom and riches and power had he who that treasure did hold;

Safe in the strength of the signet he sate on his ivory throne.

Only King Solomon knew how the dread letters did flow,

What was the breathing of Aleph, where came the whispering Yod;

When he spake the Ineffable Word, the sea-winds at bidding would blow;

And the hills yield their iron, and jewels, and gold, at the naming of God.

And out of the void of the sky, and up from the gulfs and the capes,

And forth from the caverns of earth, and down from the mountains of flame,

Flocked Demons with wonderful wings, and Ifreet of horrible shape,

And Djins, with red eyes made of fire; Divs, Peris, and Giants, they came.

They came, at the call of The Name, from Kaf, that engirdles the seas;

From the gloom of the tombs in the graveyard, from ruins on desolate ground;

From the pool and the marsh and the forest; from poisonous blossoms and trees;

Monstrous or dwarfish,-constrained, enchained, subdued by a sound;

The sound of the title of Allah, spoken so as the Angels speak;—

Nor spirits uncomely only, and evil; ethereal bands

Thronged down from their heavenly houses, the great King's service to seek,

Hearing that nameless Name which all things living commands.

And the fowl and the beast were fain to gather, each creature by each,

When Solomon summoned hereby, pronouncing the mystical words.

Moreover, their dumb mouths opened, and the fly and the bee had a speech;

And he knew the heart of the lions, and learned the mind of the birds.

Thus is it writ how he marched by Tayf from the Syrian land

Through the "Valley of Ants" and heard the cry

of that people of clay,

"Hide ye! hide in the earth! for there passeth Solomon's band;

We are many and wise, but we die, if the king's foot cometh this way."

And he laughed, but leaped to the ground, and bowed his forehead and said,

“O Lord God! grant me to learn from the ant the wit to be meek.

I am many and strong, and a king; yet Thou canst instantly tread

The pride of this earth to dust, and the strongest to Thee are but weak!”

Then he viewed the birds, and cried, "I see not amongst ye here

Al-Hudhud, the crested lapwing; what doth she to linger away?

Ill shall it fall for her, who seeketh us water clear, If she find not a fountain for prayers before the

ending of day!"

But they tarried not long till the whirr of her speckled wings

Brought unto Solomon's feet the crested lapwing, who spake,

"I have seen a Queen that is greater than any save thee, O King!

In Seba she reigneth majestic, and glorious kingship doth make.

"There hath she a marvellous throne of silver, figured with gold,

And the head of the throne is a moon in a jasper

and emerald curve;

For her people worship the moon." And Solomon answered," Behold!

Little bird! if thou liest not, this queen shall the Merciful serve!"

Thereafter the message went from the servant of God, the king:

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Solomon, son of David, to Balkis, Queen of the
South;

Peace be to them that follow the Name upon Solomon's ring;

Yield thee, and worship Allah; cursed is the idolatrous mouth."

Then Balkis sent him gifts of gold bricks, yellow and red;

And beautiful slaves five hundred, with amber and musk; and a gem

Drilled with a crooked hole, which never a goldsmith could thread;

And a topaz of price, unpierced, and a diamond

diadem.

He bade the sea-worm eat a way through the unpierced stone;

And the little ant carry a thread through the ruby's crooked drill.