FLORA ANNIE STEEL
Reading edition
Author of "A Sovereign Remedy," "On the Face of the Waters," "Voices in the Night," etc.
New York Doubleday, Page & Company 1909
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN
COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY FLORA ANNIE STEEL
TO THE MEMORY OF A PRINCE OF DREAMERS AND A KING OF KINGS
OH LORD! WHOSE SECRETS ARE FOR EVER VEILED AND WHOSE PERFECTION KNOWS NOT A BEGINNING; (END AND BEGINNING BOTH ARE LOST IN THEE NO TRACE OF THEM IN THY ETERNAL REALM) MY WORDS ARE LAME--MY TONGUE A STONY TRACT-- SLOW WINGS MY SOUL--AND WIDE IS THE EXPANSE-- CONFUSED MY THOUGHTS--THIS THY BEST PRAISE, IN ECSTASY I SEE THEE FACE TO FACE.
--Abul Faiz, Poet-Laureate at the Court of Akbar
THE BIRD OF THE MORNING ONLY KNOWETH THE WORTH OF THE BOOK OF THE ROSE; FOR NOT EVERY ONE WHO READETH THE PAGE UNDERSTANDETH THE MEANING.--Hafiz.