"HE shall sleep unscathed of thieves Who loves Allah and believes." Thus heard one who shared the tent, In the far-off Orient, Of the Bedouin ben Ahrzz -- Nobler never loved the stars. Through the palm-leaves nigh the dim Dawn his courser neighed to him! He said: "Let the sands be swarmed With such thieves as I, and thou Shalt at morning rise, unharmed, Light as eyelash to the brow Of thy camel, amber-eyed, Ever munching either side, Striding still, with nestled knees, Through the midnight's oases. "Who can rob thee an thou hast More than this that thou hast cast At my feet -- this dust of gold? Simply this and that, all told! Hast thou not a treasure of Such a thing as men call love? "Can the dusky band I lead Rob thee of thy daily need Of a whiter soul, or steal What thy lordly prayers reveal? Who could be enriched of thee By such hoard of poverty As thy niggard hand pretends To dole me -- thy worst of friends? Therefore shouldst thou pause to bless One indeed who blesses thee: Robbing thee, I dispossess But myself. -- Pray thou for me!" "He shall sleep unscathed of thieves Who loves Allah and believes." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AT A LUNAR ECLIPSE by THOMAS HARDY IN THE MILE END ROAD by AMY LEVY THE LAIRD O' COCKPEN by CAROLINA OLIPHANT NAIRNE SONNET by THEODORE AGRIPPA D' AUBIGNE THE STEAM-ENGINE: CANTO 9: GREAT WESTERN DAYS by T. BAKER |