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AFTER READING HASSAN: 1 by CHARLES WILLIAMS

First Line: HAROUN, HAROUN, THOU ART GONE FROM US, HAROUN!
Last Line: HAROUN THE CALIPH WEARS A BLACKENED BROW.
Subject(s): BOOKS; POETRY & POETS; READING;

HAROUN, Haroun, thou art gone from us, Haroun!
And all the Arabian nights are filled with sighing,
And all the gardens of Bagdad aswoon
In a red dream of sorrowful lovers dying.
Bountiful vagrant in our childish town,
Hid in thy merchant robes, Islam's Commander,
Shadow of Allah, no historic frown
Could teach us of thee any solemn slander.
No book could touch thy throne, for what thou wert
The poets and adoring childhood made thee;
None but the poets then could do thee hurt,
And now, Haroun, a poet has betrayed thee.
Sons of enchantment, mourn! for lo, from now
Haroun the Caliph wears a blackened brow.



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