_THE MORNING PRAYER._

Our Lord the Prophet (peace to him!) doth write--
Surah the Seventeenth, intituled "Night"--
"Pray at the noon; pray at the sinking sun;
In night-time pray; but most when night is done;
For daybreak's prayer is surely borne on high
By angels, changing guard within the sky;"
And in another place:--"Dawn's prayer is more
Than the wide world, with all its treasured store."

Therefore the Faithful, when the growing light
Gives to discern a black hair from a white,
Haste to the mosque, and, bending Mecca-way,
Recite _Al-Fatihah_ while 'tis scarce yet day:
"_Praise be to Allah--Lord of all that live:
Merciful King and Judge! To Thee we give
Worship and honour! Succour us, and guide
Where those have walked who rest Thy throne beside:
The way of Peace; the way of truthful speech;
The way of Righteousness. So we beseech._"
He that saith this, before the East is red,
A hundred prayers of Azan hath he said.

Hear now a story of it--told, I ween,
For your souls' comfort by Jelal-ud-din,
In the great pages of the Mesnevi;
For therein, plain and certain, shall ye see
How precious is the prayer at break of day
In Allah's ears, and in his sight alway
How sweet are reverence and gentleness
Shown to his creatures. Ali (whom I bless!)
The son of Abu Talib--he surnamed
"Lion of God," in many battles famed,
The cousin of our Lord the Prophet (grace
Be his!)--uprose betimes one morn, to pace--
As he was wont--unto the mosque, wherein
Our Lord (bliss live with him!) watched to begin
_Al-Fatihah_. Darkling was the sky, and strait
The lane between the city and mosque-gate,
By rough stones broken and deep pools of rain;
And there through toilfully, with steps of pain,
Leaning upon his staff an old Jew went
To synagogue, on pious errand bent:
For those be "People of the Book,"--and some
Are chosen of Allah's will, who have not come
Unto full light of wisdom. Therefore he
Ali--the Caliph of proud days to be--
Knowing this good old man, and why he stirred
Thus early, e'er the morning mills were heard,
Out of his nobleness and grace of soul
Would not thrust past, though the Jew blocked the whole
Breadth of the lane, slow-hobbling. So they went,
That ancient first; and in soft discontent,
After him Ali--n