Bird Parliament · 1 of 20

The Assembly of Birds

Once on a time from all the Circles seven Between the stedfast Earth and rolling Heaven THE BIRDS, of all Note, Plumage, and Degree, That float in Air, and roost upon the Tree; And they that from the Waters snatch their Meat, And they that scour the Desert with long Feet; Birds of all Natures, known or not to Man, Flock’d from all Quarters into full Divan, On no less solemn business than to find Or choose, a Sultan Khalif of their kind, For whom, if never theirs, or lost, they pined. The Snake had his, ’twas said; and so the Beast His Lion-lord: and Man had his, at least: And that the Birds, who nearest were the Skies, And went apparell’d in its Angel Dyes. Should be without—under no better Law Than that which lost all other in the Maw— Disperst without a Bond of Union—nay, Or meeting to make each the other’s Prey— This was the Grievance—this the solemn Thing On which the scatter’d Commonwealth of Wing, From all the four Winds, flying like to Cloud That met and blacken’d Heav’n, and Thunder-loud With Sound of whirring Wings and Beaks that clash’d Down like a Torrent on the Desert dash’d: Till by Degrees, the Hubbub and Pell-mell Into some Order and Precedence fell, And, Proclamation made of Silence, each In special Accent, but in general Speech That all should understand, as seem’d him best, The Congregation of all Wings addrest.

And first, with Heart so full as from his Eyes Ran weeping, up rose Tajidar the Wise; The mystic Mark upon whose Bosom show’d That He alone of all the Birds THE ROAD Had travell’d: and the Crown upon his Head Had reach’d the Goal; and He stood forth and said:

‘O Birds, by what Authority divine I speak you know by His authentic Sign, And Name, emblazon’d on my Breast and Bill: Whose Counsel I assist at, and fulfil: At His Behest I measured as he plann’d The Spaces of the Air and Sea and Land; I gauged the secret sources of the Springs From Cloud to Fish: the Shadow of my Wings Dream’d over sleeping Deluge: piloted The Blast that bore Sulayman’s Throne: and led The Cloud of Birds that canopied his Head; Whose Word I brought to Balkis: and I shared The Counsel that with Asaf he prepared. And now you want a Khalif: and I know Him, and his whereabout, and How to go: And go alone I could, and plead your cause Alone for all: but, by the eternal laws, Yourselves by Toil and Travel of your own Must for your old Delinquency atone. Were you indeed not blinded by the Curse Of Self-exile, that still grows worse and worse, Yourselves would know that, though you see him not, He is with you this Moment, on this Spot, Your Lord through all Forgetfulness and Crime, Here, There, and Everywhere, and through all Time. But as a Father, whom some wayward Child By sinful Self-will has unreconciled, Waits till the sullen Reprobate at cost Of long Repentance should regain the Lost; Therefore, yourselves to see as you are seen, Yourselves must bridge the Gulf you made between By such a Search and Travel to be gone Up to the mighty mountain Kaf, whereon Hinges the World, and round about whose Knees Into one Ocean mingle the Sev’n Seas; In whose impenetrable Forest-folds Of Light and Dark “Symurgh” his Presence holds; Not to be reach’d, if to be reach’d at all But by a Road the stoutest might apal; Of Travel not of Days or Months, but Years— Life-long perhaps: of Dangers, Doubts, and Fears As yet unheard of: Sweat of Blood and Brain Interminable—often all in vain— And, if successful, no Return again: A Road whose very Preparation scared The Traveller who yet must be prepared. Who then this Travel to Result would bring Needs both a Lion’s Heart beneath the Wing, And even more, a Spirit purified Of Worldly Passion, Malice, Lust, and Pride: Yea, ev’n of Worldly Wisdom, which grows dim And dark, the nearer it approaches Him, Who to the Spirit’s Eye alone reveal’d, By sacrifice of Wisdom’s self unseal’d; Without which none who reach the Place could bear To look upon the Glory dwelling there.’