Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald Edited by William Aldis Wright: In seven volumes |
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 | Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald |  |
From the solitary Desert
Up to Baghdád came a simple
Arab; there amid the rout
Grew bewilder'd of the countless
People, hither, thither, running,
Coming, going, meeting, parting,
Clamour, clatter, and confusion,
All about him and about.
Travel-wearied, hubbub-dizzy,
Would the simple Arab fain
Get to sleep—‘But then, on waking,
‘How,’ quoth he, ‘amid so many
‘Waking know Myself again?’
So, to make the matter certain,
Strung a gourd about his ankle,
And, into a corner creeping,
Baghdád and Himself and People
Soon were blotted from his brain.
But one that heard him and divined
His purpose, slily crept behind;
From the Sleeper's ankle slipping,
Round his own the pumpkin tied,
And laid him down to sleep beside.
By and by the Arab waking
Looks directly for his Signal—
Sees it on another's Ankle—
Cries aloud, ‘Oh Good-for-nothing
‘Rascal to perplex me so!
‘That by you I am bewilder'd,
‘Whether I be I or no!
‘If I—the Pumpkin why on You?
‘If You—then Where am I, and Who?
Up to Baghdád came a simple
Arab; there amid the rout
Grew bewilder'd of the countless
209
Coming, going, meeting, parting,
Clamour, clatter, and confusion,
All about him and about.
Travel-wearied, hubbub-dizzy,
Would the simple Arab fain
Get to sleep—‘But then, on waking,
‘How,’ quoth he, ‘amid so many
‘Waking know Myself again?’
So, to make the matter certain,
Strung a gourd about his ankle,
And, into a corner creeping,
Baghdád and Himself and People
Soon were blotted from his brain.
But one that heard him and divined
His purpose, slily crept behind;
From the Sleeper's ankle slipping,
Round his own the pumpkin tied,
And laid him down to sleep beside.
By and by the Arab waking
Looks directly for his Signal—
Sees it on another's Ankle—
Cries aloud, ‘Oh Good-for-nothing
‘Rascal to perplex me so!
‘That by you I am bewilder'd,
‘Whether I be I or no!
‘If I—the Pumpkin why on You?
‘If You—then Where am I, and Who?
| Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald | |