O'ver
hill and dale and mountain range,
In temple, church, and mosque,
In Vedas,
Bible, Al Koran
I had searched for Thee in vain.
Like
a child in the wildest forest lost
I have cried and cried alone,
"Where
art Thou gone, my God, my love?
The echo answered, "gone."
And
days and nights and years then passed
A fire was in the brain,
I knew not
when day changed in night
The heart seemed rent in twain.
I laid me down
on Ganges's shore,
Exposed to sun and rain;
With burning tears I laid the
dust
And wailed with waters' roar.
I
called on all the holy names
Of every clime and creed.
"Show me the way,
in mercy, ye
Great ones who have reached the goal."
Years
then passed in bitter cry,
Eacch moment seemed an age,
Till one day midst
my cries and groans
Some one seemed calling me.
A
gentle soft and soothing voice
That said 'my son' 'my son',
That seemed to
thrill in unison
With all the chords of my soul.
I
stood on my feet and tried to find
The place the voice came from;
I
searched and searched and turned to see
Round me, before, behind,
Again,
again it seemed to speak
The voice divine to me.
In rapture all my soul
was hushed,
Entranced, enthralled in bliss.
A
flash illumined all my soul;
The heart of my heart opened wide.
O joy, O
bliss, what do I find!
My love, my love you are here
And you are here, my
love, my all!
And
I was searching thee -
From all eternity you were there
Enthroned in
majesty!
From that day forth, wherever I roam,
I feel Him standing
by
O'ver hill and dale, high mount and vale,
Far far away and high.
The
moon's soft light, the stars so bright,
The glorious orb of day,
He shines
in them; His beauty - might -
Reflected lights are they.
The majestic
morn, the melting eve,
The boundless billowing sea,
In nature's beauty,
songs of birds,
I see through them - it is He.
When
dire calamity seizes me,
The heart seems weak and faint,
All natures seems
to crush me down,
With laws that enver bend.
Meseems I hear Thee
whispering sweet
My love, "I am near", "I am near".
My heart gets strong.
With thee, my love,
A thousand deaths no fear.
Thou speakest in the
mother's lay
Thous shuts the babies eye,
When innocent children laugh and
play,
I see Thee standing by.
When
holy friendship shakes the hand,
He stands between them too;
He pours the
nectar in mother's kiss
And the baby's sweet "mama".
Thou wert my God with
prophets old,
All creeds do come from Thee,
The Vedas, Bible, and Koran
bold
Sing Thee in Harmony.
"Thou
art," Thou art" the Soul of souls
In the rushing stream of life.
"Om tat
sat om." Thou art my God,
My love, I am thine, I am thine.