when, mad in their mirth, they raised dust to soil thy robe, o beautiful, it made my heart sick.

i cried to thee and said, “take thy rod of punishment and judge them.”

the morning light struck upon those eyes, red with the revel of night; the place of the white lily greeted their burning breath; the stars through the depth of the sacred dark stared at their carousing—at those that raised dust to soil thy robe, o beautiful!

thy judgment seat was in the flower garden, in the birds’ notes in springtime: in the shady river-banks, where the trees muttered in answer to the muttering of the waves.

o my lover, they were pitiless in their passion.

they prowled in the dark to snatch thy ornaments to deck their own desires.

when they had struck thee and thou wert pained, it pierced me to the quick, and i cried to thee and said, “take thy sword, o my lover, and judge them!”

ah, but thy justice was vigilant.

a mother’s tears were shed on their insolence; the imperishable faith of a lover hid their spears of rebellion in its own wounds.

thy judgment was in the mute pain of sleepless love: in the blush of the chaste: in the tears of the night of the desolate: in the pale morning-light of forgiveness.

o terrible, they in their reckless greed climbed thy gate at night, breaking into thy storehouse to rob thee.

but the weight of their plunder grew immense, too heavy to carry or to remove.

thereupon i cried to thee and said, forgive them, o terrible!

thy forgiveness burst in storms, throwing them down, scattering their thefts in the dust.

thy forgiveness was in the thunder-stone; in the shower of blood; in the angry red of the sunset.