93.
I drown in sin—show me Thy clemency!
My soul is dark—make me Thy light to see!
A heaven that must be earned by painful works,
I call a wage, not a gift fair and free.
94.
Did He who made me fashion me for hell,
Or destine me for heaven? I can not tell.
Yet will I not renounce cup, lute, and love,
Nor earthly cash for heavenly credit sell.
95.
From right and left the censors came and stood,
Saying, "Renounce this wine, this foe of good;"
But if wine be the foe of holy faith,
By Allah, right it is to drink its blood!
93. C. L. N. A. I. J. Arabic words like razá' drop the hamza in Persian, except with the izáfat: (Bl. Prosody 14). For this hamza, ya is often used, as here.
94. C. L. N. A. B. I. In line 4, the izáfat is dropped after silent he. Bl., Prosody, p. 15.
95. C. L. N. A. B. I. J. See Koran, ii. 187.
