Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald Edited by William Aldis Wright: In seven volumes |
 | I. |
| VI. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| VII. |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
|
 | Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald |  |
Quoth a Muezzín to the crested
Cock—‘Oh Prophet of the Morning,
‘Never Prophet like to you
‘Prophesied of Dawn, nor Muezzín
‘With so shrill a voice of warning
‘Woke the sleeper to confession
‘Crying, “Lá allah illá 'llah,
‘Muhammad rasúluhu.’”
‘One, methinks, so rarely gifted
‘Should have prophesied and sung
‘In Heav'n, the Birds of Heav'n among,
‘Not with these poor hens about him,
‘Raking in a heap of dung.’
‘And,’ replied the Cock, ‘in Heaven
‘Once I was; but by my foolish
‘Lust to this uncleanly living
‘With my sorry mates about me
‘Thus am fallen. Otherwise,
‘I were prophesying Dawn
‘Before the gates of Paradise.’
Cock—‘Oh Prophet of the Morning,
‘Never Prophet like to you
‘Prophesied of Dawn, nor Muezzín
‘With so shrill a voice of warning
‘Woke the sleeper to confession
‘Crying, “Lá allah illá 'llah,
‘Muhammad rasúluhu.’”
‘One, methinks, so rarely gifted
‘Should have prophesied and sung
‘In Heav'n, the Birds of Heav'n among,
‘Not with these poor hens about him,
‘Raking in a heap of dung.’
‘And,’ replied the Cock, ‘in Heaven
‘Once I was; but by my foolish
231
‘With my sorry mates about me
‘Thus am fallen. Otherwise,
‘I were prophesying Dawn
‘Before the gates of Paradise.’
| Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Fitzgerald | |