THE Calif Hassan, -- so the tale is told, -- In honors opulent and rich in gold, One New Year's Day sat in a palm-tree's shade, And, on a stone that lay beside him, made An inventory, -- naming one by one His benefactions; all that he had done Throughout the year; and thus the items ran: "Five bags of gold for mosques in Ispahan; For caravans to Mecca, seven more; For amulets to pious people, four; Three for the Ramazan; and two to pay The holy dervishes, who thrice a day In prayer besought the safety of my soul; Item, one loaf of bread, a weekly dole To a poor widow with a sickly child." The Calif read the reckoning o'er, and smiled With conscious pleasure at the vast amount, When, lo! a hand sweeps over the account. With sudden anger, Hassan looked around, And saw an angel standing on the ground, With wings of gold, and robe of purest white. "I am God's messenger, employed to write Within this book the pious deeds of men; I have revised thy reckoning; look again." So to the man the angel spake aloud, Then slowly vanished in a rosy cloud. The Calif, looking, saw upon the stone The final item standing there alone. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A DAY IN BED by KATHERINE MANSFIELD A HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER by JOHN DONNE IN MAY by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR ENVOY, TO 'MORE SONGS FROM VAGABONDIA' by RICHARD HOVEY INDEPENDENCE DAY by ROYALL TYLER CHOEPHOROI: INVOCATION OF AGAMEMNON'S GHOST by AESCHYLUS TREES AND WAVES by AL-ISRA'ILI |