In the dawn of the day, when the sea and the earth
    Reflected the sunrise above,
I set forth, with a heart full of courage and mirth,
    To seek for the Kingdom of Love.
I asked of a Poet I met on the way
    Which cross-road would lead me aright,
And he said: Follow me, and ere long you shall see
    Its glittering turrets of light.

And soon in the distance a city shone fair;
    Look yonder, he said, there it gleams!
But alas! for the hopes that were doomed to despair,
    It was only the Kingdom of Dreams.
Then the next man I asked was a gay cavalier,
    And he said: Follow me, follow me,
And with laughter and song we went speeding along
    By the shores of lifes beautiful sea,

Till we came to a valley more tropical far
    Than the wonderful Vale of Cashmere,
And I saw from a bower a face like a flower
    Smile out on the gay cavalier.
And he said: We have come to humanitys goal
    Here love and delight are intense.
But alas! and alas! for the hope of my soul
    It was only the kingdom of Sense.

As I journeyed more slowly, I met on the road
    A coach with retainers behind,
And they said: Follow us, for our ladys abode
    Belongs in the realm you would find.
T was a grand dame of fashion, a newly-wed bride;
    I followed, encouraged and bold,
But my hope died away, like the last gleams of day,
    For we came to the Kingdom of Gold.

At the door of a cottage I asked a fair maid,
    I have heard of that realm, she replied,
But my feet never roam from the Kingdom of Home,
    So I know not the way, and she sighed.
I looked on the cottage how restful it seemed!
    And the maid was as fair as a dove.
Great light glorified my soul as I cried;
    Why, home is the Kingdom of Love!

          from Mal Moulee