Canto 14God
Book 3. Part Three - Baroda and Bengal Circa 1900 – 1909
Baroda and Bengal, c. 1900–1909
Within Himself He shadowed Being forth,
Which is a younger birth, a veil He chose
To half-conceal Him, Knowledge, nothing worth
5Save to have glimpses of its mighty cause,
And high Delight, a spirit infinite,
That is the fountain of this glorious world,
Delight that labours in its opposite,
Faints in the rose and on the rack is curled.
10This was the triune playground that He made
And One there sports awhile. He plucks His flowers
And by His bees is stung; He is dismayed,
Flees from Himself or has His sullen hours.
The Almighty One knew labour, failure, strife;
15Knowledge forgot divined itself again:
He made an eager death and called it life,
He stung Himself with bliss and called it pain.
God
Thou who pervadest all the worlds below,
20Yet sitst above,
Master of all who work and rule and know,
Servant of Love!
Thou who disdainest not the worm to be
Nor even the clod,
25Therefore we know by that humility
That thou art God.