The soul to Sālih’s like; his camel is the flesh; The soul communes with God; the flesh pines in want’s mesh. Good Sālih’s soul was safe from effort of their whim; His camel felt the blow they dared not aim at him. No hurt could fall on Sālih’s soul,--that priceless gem,— Such holy emanation was not sport for them. The soul unto the flesh is joined, by God’s decree, That it may be afflicted,--trials made to see. 275 Who hurts a body hurts also its soul, no doubt; The life-blood in that vase from being’s fount was brought. God enters in relation with material form, That He may be asylum to each earthborn worm. No man can inlet find to injure soul of saint; An oyster-shell is crushed; its pearl escapes attaint. Then serve the camel; that is, list to saint in flesh; And with his righteous soul thou’lt serve one Lord afresh.
When Sālih saw the evil deed they’d foully wrought, In three days’ time a judgment from his God he sought. 280 “Three days from hence,” said he, “affliction will befall; Of which, three signs precursors shall be. You’ll see, all. The colour of your faces shall be changed to view; Complexions various shall be seen in each of you. Upon the first day, saffron’s hue shall be their tinge; The second, scarlet red each countenance shall fringe; And on the third, as black as coal shall be each face; Upon which ensuing, God’s wrath shall then take place. If sign of me you ask for truth of what I say, Observe the path that camel’s foal shall take to-day; 285 Then strive to catch it. If you can, by chance, succeed; Good. If not, hope is gone;--from bow the arrow’s freed!”
No one of them the camel’s foal could overtake. It fled among the hills,--was lost to sight. Heartache! E’en so the soul, when once its prison bars are burst, Unto the Lord of Grace its winged flight takes first. The prophet then: “The threatened judgment now must storm; All hope’s gone by;--dead as that camel’s lifeless form. Still, if, by coaxing, you her foal can win back here, In calm tranquillity, from whence it’s fled through fear, 290 With its return of confidence you may be saved; But otherwise, despair and gnash your teeth, depraved!”
His threat they heard; dejected were at its import. Their looks sank downcast;--sad anxiety’s resort. The first day came; they saw each visage jaundiced o’er; And thence, in fell dismay, they laments uttered, sore. Their scarlet skins, the second day, told plainer still, Time for repentance was but short, and hope was _nil_. The blackened faces, on the third day, clearly told The prophet’s threat was strictly true. Their blood ran cold. 295