 | The Last Ballad and Other Poems |  |
97
THE HYMN OF ABDUL HAMID
Whene'er Thy mosque I trod
I heard my sabre sigh,
“There is no God but God;
Believe in Him or die!
I heard my sabre sigh,
“There is no God but God;
Believe in Him or die!
“Abdul the Bless'd! You must
Pursue the Prophet's path!
Up! slake the eager lust
Of God's avenging wrath!”
Pursue the Prophet's path!
Up! slake the eager lust
Of God's avenging wrath!”
Islam! a dreadful call!
Long, long I made delay.
“My back is at the wall:
Look, Lord; I stand at bay!
Long, long I made delay.
“My back is at the wall:
Look, Lord; I stand at bay!
98
“The eagles throng,” I cried,
“Expecting me to die:
The Powers my throne deride;
I am the Sick Man, I!”
“Expecting me to die:
The Powers my throne deride;
I am the Sick Man, I!”
But there my troops were ranked,
A weapon to my hand;
And still my sabre clanked,
“Go forth and purge the land!”
A weapon to my hand;
And still my sabre clanked,
“Go forth and purge the land!”
At last Mohammed's sword,
The Key of Heaven and Hell,
I drew; and at my word
A hundred thousand fell,
The Key of Heaven and Hell,
I drew; and at my word
A hundred thousand fell,
God-hated: in their day,
Foul cumberers of the earth;
Now theirs is ours; and they,
Fuel for Shetan's hearth.
Foul cumberers of the earth;
Now theirs is ours; and they,
Fuel for Shetan's hearth.
99
Though journalists proclaimed
That things were at the worst;
Though Ministers were blamed;
Though poets sang and cursed;
That things were at the worst;
Though Ministers were blamed;
Though poets sang and cursed;
Though priests in every church
Prayed God to shield the right,
God left them in the lurch:
They were afraid to fight!
Prayed God to shield the right,
God left them in the lurch:
They were afraid to fight!
Words, words they slung; while we,
Indifferent to the cost,
Fulfilled God's high decree
In slaughtering the lost.
Indifferent to the cost,
Fulfilled God's high decree
In slaughtering the lost.
The Powers blasphemed beneath;
Above Heaven smiled delight;
Ho! Europe gnashed her teeth;
And Greece began to bite.
Above Heaven smiled delight;
Ho! Europe gnashed her teeth;
And Greece began to bite.
100
They fell into the pit
They dug for our dismay;
The biter soon was bit;
The spoilers are our prey!
They dug for our dismay;
The biter soon was bit;
The spoilers are our prey!
The Sick Man? No; the Strong!
Prestige is ours again!
God gives us a new song
Like sunshine after rain.
Prestige is ours again!
God gives us a new song
Like sunshine after rain.
Grasping a shadow, lo,
The Dog has lost his bone—
The Christian Dog! Even so!
Allah is God alone!
The Dog has lost his bone—
The Christian Dog! Even so!
Allah is God alone!
| The Last Ballad and Other Poems | |