Tobias’ Story*
Act I - Introduction
While Israel was in
exile,
The fate of two faithful
would unite,
Tobit of Nineveh and Sarah
of Ectabana[1]’s
misery would end.
Through a common thread
of
Tobit’s son “Tobias”
And a tale of;
Son’s love for father,
Spouse’s love for Spouse,
And God’s love for
mankind,
Shall forever be told.
Act II - Tobit’s Prayer:
“You brought me out of
my father’s land,
I never left your way,
Even on the persecution
day,
To every brother I lent
my hand,
On that day,
I just buried,
My brethren murdered, whose
corpse on street unattended lay,
After my duty, unclean
and tired under a tree I lie,
But the sparrow’s
droppings fall in my eye,
Gone is my sight,
No longer the priest,
prophet and king am I,
Oh lord, here my body day
after day rust,
Oh lord, in your wisdom
and justice,
Take me now! Take me now,
And turn me to dust.
Act III - Sarah’s Prayer:
“This life was your gift,
But today I wish it all
to end,
I, the apple of my father’s
eye,
Oh lord! Call me today
and let me die,
Why lord? Why
My seven suitors all
found dead?
I can’t bear this shame,
Take me, and take me now,
To the place where all
miseries end.
Act IV - The divine
intervention:
Before his throne no
prayer is unanswered,
Every unsaid word is
heard,
But his ways are
mysterious,
The thread was about to
unwind,
For he can stop every east
wind.[2]
A thought he put in
Tobit’s mind;
Of an old debt he did
remind.
Then to his son “Tobias”
he did command:
“Go find a man among our
own,
To guide you to the city of Rages[3],
To collect my debt,
Before I lie on my death
bed”
Unknown
to Tobias he brought home an angel,
Unknown to father and
son,
To Tobit’s only son the guide,
would be Raphael.[4]
With a tear in his eye,
He bid goodbye to the
apple of his eye.
Act V - Fishy Tale:
The journey was long,
In the evening by Tigris[5] two weary travelers
stopped,
On Raphael’s command,
From Tigris Tobias pulled
out a fish long,
They ate the flesh,
But on Raphael’s command;
Of the fish he kept the
liver, heart and gall.
Act VI - Blind Faith:
As they entered Ectabana,
The angel did instruct:
“Here lives, Sarah a
maiden fare,
Marred by fate,
Yet from eternity
destined to be your perfect mate.
Her father Raguel belongs
to your clan,
And you have every right,
to ask for her hand.”
Tobias replied:
“You my companion, you my
guide,
You know seven suitors of
have died,
It would bring my
father’s end,
If I would enter the
realm of dead”
The angel replied:
“Those men of flesh,
Those men of lust,
By their intention they
were turned to dust.
And dragged to hell,
By Sarah’s pursuer
Asmodeus devil.
But with you all shall be
well,
Coz amidst you shall the
holy one dwell,
Burn the fish’s heart,
burn the liver,
And from it’s smell,
The devil shall flee.”
He had blind faith,
And obeyed his guide’s
command.
Raguel pitied the young
lad’s fate,
But to Tobias he gave Sarah
in marriage,
That night, Tobias burned
on incense the (fish’s) heart and liver,
And for God’s mercy they
did pray,
Before their marriage
they consummate.
Raguel lacked faith,
He had asked a grave for
the young man be dug,
But when he came to know,
The couple were sleeping
in in each other’s hug.
The grave was quickly
covered,
And a feast was arranged.
Indeed, Raguel realized
his daughter was indeed blessed,
And he praised, he
praised God like never before.
While Tobias was at the
feast,
The guide collected the
debt.
Act VII - Held by the thread:
As Tobias, his spouse,
and his guide,
Neared his father’s home,
His guide and he rushed ahead,
To prepare his house,
For his spouse.
He applied the (fish)
gall on his father’s eye,
And peeled of the layer,
Restored was Tobit’s
sight.
Tobit’s joy knew no bound,
His misery no longer did
him hound.
So he declared;
“Whatever from Ectabana and
Rages,
You have got,
Half of it from you must
part,
Give it to your guide,
For without him you would
not have been equally yoked,
And in my misery, I would
have died.”
It was then that the
angel Raphael revealed his true form,
And as the household
praised God,
The angel left for his heavenly
abode.
Tobias was the thread,
Angel Raphael was the
medium,
Through these God had
worked two miracles,
And united two lives.
Act VIII - Coz his love
never ends
I don’t know what would
be my fate,
I don’t whether there is
love at first sight,
I don’t know whether the marriage,
would be of love or
arranged,
But I am blessed with
faith,
And my father knows what
is right.
Our mutual love might
end,
But my father’s love will
never end.
-
Prajval Albuquerque
* The poem is a work
inspired by the book of Tobit, the poet does not claim that the poem is
historically or literarily accurate. The poet while exercising creative liberty
has made a sincere effort so as to protect the intent and content of the book
any inconsistency or inaccuracy is highly regretted for. The readers are
encouraged to go and read the book of Tobit, coz the poet with mighty interest
in classical literature has never read a
better historical account of love than as documented in this book.
[1]
Nineveh and Ectabana: Ancient Assyrian cities.
[2]
East wind: The east wind of the Bible is also a fierce wind (Isaiah 27:8, Job
38:24), it can destroy ships on the high seas (Psalm 48:7, Ezekiel 27:26), it
can scatter and sweep out people (Job 15:2, 27:21, Jonah 4:8, Jeremiah 18:17).
[3]
Rages: Ancient Assyrian City
[4]
Raphael: Raphael is
an archangel responsible for healing
[5]
Tigris: River Tigris
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