My lord,
They prophesied, the Elder prophesied,
Unwitting, of the flood of waters,--ay,
A vision was before him, and the lands
Lay under water drowned: he saw the ark,--
It floated in the Enemy's right hand."
Lord of the lost, the son of Lamech fled
Into the wilderness to meet His voice
That reigneth; and we, diligent to hear
Aught that might serve thee, followed, but, forbid
To enter, lay upon its boundary cliff,
And wished for morning.
"When the dawn was red,
We sought the man, we marked him; and he prayed,--
Kneeling, he prayed in the valley, and he said--"
"Nay," quoth the serpent, "spare me, what devout
He fawning grovelled to the All-powerful;
But if of what shall hap he aught let fall,
Speak that." They answered, "He did pray as one
That looketh to outlive mankind,--and more,
We are certified by all his scattered words,
That HE will take from men their length of days,
And cut them off like grass in its first flower:
From henceforth this shall be."
That when he heard,
The dragon made to the night his moan.
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