THE SAHARA
BY ABD-EL-KADER.
BY ABD-EL-KADER.
BY ABD-EL-KADER.
Glory to God alone!
O thou who takest up the defence of thehader[57]
And condemnest the love of thebedoui[58]for his boundless horizons!
Is it for their lightness that thou findest fault with our tents?
Hast thou no word of praise but for houses of wood and stone?
If thou knewest the secrets of the desert, thou wouldst think like me:
But thou art ignorant, and ignorance is the other of evil.
If thou hadst waked up in the middle of the Sahara,If thy feet had trampled this carpet of sand,Sprinkled with flowers like to pearls,Thou wouldst have admired our plants,The singular variety of their hues,Their grace, their delicious perfume;
If thou hadst waked up in the middle of the Sahara,If thy feet had trampled this carpet of sand,Sprinkled with flowers like to pearls,Thou wouldst have admired our plants,The singular variety of their hues,Their grace, their delicious perfume;
If thou hadst waked up in the middle of the Sahara,If thy feet had trampled this carpet of sand,Sprinkled with flowers like to pearls,Thou wouldst have admired our plants,The singular variety of their hues,Their grace, their delicious perfume;
If thou hadst waked up in the middle of the Sahara,
If thy feet had trampled this carpet of sand,
Sprinkled with flowers like to pearls,
Thou wouldst have admired our plants,
The singular variety of their hues,
Their grace, their delicious perfume;
Thou wouldst have drawn in this balmy breath whichdoubles life, for it has not passed over the impurity ofcities.If, going out some splendid night,Cooled by an abundant dew,From the summit of amerkeb,[59]Thou hadst cast thy eyes round thee,Thou wouldst have seen far away and on all sidestroops of wild animalsBrowsing the fragrant shrubs.At that moment all care would have fled from beforethee.Overflowing joy would have filled thy soul.What a charm, too, in our hunting! At sunrise,Through us every day brings terror to the savagebeast.And the day of therahil,[60]when our redhaouadjej[61]arefastened on our camels,Thou wouldst have said that a field of anemones werebedecking themselves, under the rain, with their richestcolours.Upon ourhaouadjejrecline our virgins;Theirtaka[62]are closed by houri eyes.The conductors of their animals raise their shrillchaunt;The tone of their voice finds the door of the soul.
Thou wouldst have drawn in this balmy breath whichdoubles life, for it has not passed over the impurity ofcities.If, going out some splendid night,Cooled by an abundant dew,From the summit of amerkeb,[59]Thou hadst cast thy eyes round thee,Thou wouldst have seen far away and on all sidestroops of wild animalsBrowsing the fragrant shrubs.At that moment all care would have fled from beforethee.Overflowing joy would have filled thy soul.What a charm, too, in our hunting! At sunrise,Through us every day brings terror to the savagebeast.And the day of therahil,[60]when our redhaouadjej[61]arefastened on our camels,Thou wouldst have said that a field of anemones werebedecking themselves, under the rain, with their richestcolours.Upon ourhaouadjejrecline our virgins;Theirtaka[62]are closed by houri eyes.The conductors of their animals raise their shrillchaunt;The tone of their voice finds the door of the soul.
Thou wouldst have drawn in this balmy breath whichdoubles life, for it has not passed over the impurity ofcities.
Thou wouldst have drawn in this balmy breath which
doubles life, for it has not passed over the impurity of
cities.
If, going out some splendid night,Cooled by an abundant dew,From the summit of amerkeb,[59]Thou hadst cast thy eyes round thee,Thou wouldst have seen far away and on all sidestroops of wild animalsBrowsing the fragrant shrubs.At that moment all care would have fled from beforethee.Overflowing joy would have filled thy soul.
If, going out some splendid night,
Cooled by an abundant dew,
From the summit of amerkeb,[59]
Thou hadst cast thy eyes round thee,
Thou wouldst have seen far away and on all sides
troops of wild animals
Browsing the fragrant shrubs.
At that moment all care would have fled from before
thee.
Overflowing joy would have filled thy soul.
What a charm, too, in our hunting! At sunrise,Through us every day brings terror to the savagebeast.And the day of therahil,[60]when our redhaouadjej[61]arefastened on our camels,Thou wouldst have said that a field of anemones werebedecking themselves, under the rain, with their richestcolours.
What a charm, too, in our hunting! At sunrise,
Through us every day brings terror to the savage
beast.
And the day of therahil,[60]when our redhaouadjej[61]are
fastened on our camels,
Thou wouldst have said that a field of anemones were
bedecking themselves, under the rain, with their richest
colours.
Upon ourhaouadjejrecline our virgins;Theirtaka[62]are closed by houri eyes.The conductors of their animals raise their shrillchaunt;The tone of their voice finds the door of the soul.
Upon ourhaouadjejrecline our virgins;
Theirtaka[62]are closed by houri eyes.
The conductors of their animals raise their shrill
chaunt;
The tone of their voice finds the door of the soul.
We, swift as the air, on our generous coursers,Theshelils[63]waving over their croups,We give chace to thehouache.[64]We overtake theghezal,[65]that fancies itself far from us.It escapes not from our horses at full speed,With thin flanks.How manydelim[66]with their females became our prey!Although their running is not less rapid than theflight of other birds.We return to our families at the hour of halt,On a new camping ground, free from pollution.The earth exhales the odour of musk,[67]But purer than it,It has been cleansed by the rainsOf evening and morning.We pitch our tents in circular groups;The earth is covered with them, as is the firmamentwith stars.They of old time have said, who are no more, but ourfathers have repeated it,And we say as they did, for truth is always truth:Two things are beautiful in this world,Beautiful verses and beautiful tents.In the evening, our camels come up to us;At night the voice of the male is heard like distantthunder.
We, swift as the air, on our generous coursers,Theshelils[63]waving over their croups,We give chace to thehouache.[64]We overtake theghezal,[65]that fancies itself far from us.It escapes not from our horses at full speed,With thin flanks.How manydelim[66]with their females became our prey!Although their running is not less rapid than theflight of other birds.We return to our families at the hour of halt,On a new camping ground, free from pollution.The earth exhales the odour of musk,[67]But purer than it,It has been cleansed by the rainsOf evening and morning.We pitch our tents in circular groups;The earth is covered with them, as is the firmamentwith stars.They of old time have said, who are no more, but ourfathers have repeated it,And we say as they did, for truth is always truth:Two things are beautiful in this world,Beautiful verses and beautiful tents.In the evening, our camels come up to us;At night the voice of the male is heard like distantthunder.
We, swift as the air, on our generous coursers,Theshelils[63]waving over their croups,We give chace to thehouache.[64]We overtake theghezal,[65]that fancies itself far from us.It escapes not from our horses at full speed,With thin flanks.How manydelim[66]with their females became our prey!Although their running is not less rapid than theflight of other birds.
We, swift as the air, on our generous coursers,
Theshelils[63]waving over their croups,
We give chace to thehouache.[64]
We overtake theghezal,[65]that fancies itself far from us.
It escapes not from our horses at full speed,
With thin flanks.
How manydelim[66]with their females became our prey!
Although their running is not less rapid than the
flight of other birds.
We return to our families at the hour of halt,On a new camping ground, free from pollution.The earth exhales the odour of musk,[67]But purer than it,It has been cleansed by the rainsOf evening and morning.
We return to our families at the hour of halt,
On a new camping ground, free from pollution.
The earth exhales the odour of musk,[67]
But purer than it,
It has been cleansed by the rains
Of evening and morning.
We pitch our tents in circular groups;The earth is covered with them, as is the firmamentwith stars.They of old time have said, who are no more, but ourfathers have repeated it,And we say as they did, for truth is always truth:Two things are beautiful in this world,Beautiful verses and beautiful tents.
We pitch our tents in circular groups;
The earth is covered with them, as is the firmament
with stars.
They of old time have said, who are no more, but our
fathers have repeated it,
And we say as they did, for truth is always truth:
Two things are beautiful in this world,
Beautiful verses and beautiful tents.
In the evening, our camels come up to us;At night the voice of the male is heard like distantthunder.
In the evening, our camels come up to us;
At night the voice of the male is heard like distant
thunder.
Light ships of the land,Safer than ships,For a ship is inconstant;Ourmaharis[68]rival in speed themaha.[69]And our horses—is there a glory like unto theirs?Always saddled for the fight,When any one invokes our aid,They are the promise of victory.Our enemies have no place of refuge against our blows,For our coursers, celebrated by the Prophet,swoop upon them like the vulture.Our coursers have the purest milk to drink,The milk of the camel, more precious than that of the cow.Our first care is to divide the booty we have taken from the enemy.Equity presides at the distribution.Every one receives the due reward of his valour.We have sold our rights of citizenship. We have no reason to regretthe bargain.We have gained honour, of which thehaderknows nothing.We are Kings. There is none to be compared with us.Is it life to undergo humiliation?We suffer not the insults of the unjust. We leave him and his land.True happiness is in wandering life.
Light ships of the land,Safer than ships,For a ship is inconstant;Ourmaharis[68]rival in speed themaha.[69]And our horses—is there a glory like unto theirs?Always saddled for the fight,When any one invokes our aid,They are the promise of victory.Our enemies have no place of refuge against our blows,For our coursers, celebrated by the Prophet,swoop upon them like the vulture.Our coursers have the purest milk to drink,The milk of the camel, more precious than that of the cow.Our first care is to divide the booty we have taken from the enemy.Equity presides at the distribution.Every one receives the due reward of his valour.We have sold our rights of citizenship. We have no reason to regretthe bargain.We have gained honour, of which thehaderknows nothing.We are Kings. There is none to be compared with us.Is it life to undergo humiliation?We suffer not the insults of the unjust. We leave him and his land.True happiness is in wandering life.
Light ships of the land,Safer than ships,For a ship is inconstant;Ourmaharis[68]rival in speed themaha.[69]
Light ships of the land,
Safer than ships,
For a ship is inconstant;
Ourmaharis[68]rival in speed themaha.[69]
And our horses—is there a glory like unto theirs?Always saddled for the fight,When any one invokes our aid,They are the promise of victory.Our enemies have no place of refuge against our blows,For our coursers, celebrated by the Prophet,swoop upon them like the vulture.
And our horses—is there a glory like unto theirs?
Always saddled for the fight,
When any one invokes our aid,
They are the promise of victory.
Our enemies have no place of refuge against our blows,
For our coursers, celebrated by the Prophet,
swoop upon them like the vulture.
Our coursers have the purest milk to drink,The milk of the camel, more precious than that of the cow.
Our coursers have the purest milk to drink,
The milk of the camel, more precious than that of the cow.
Our first care is to divide the booty we have taken from the enemy.Equity presides at the distribution.Every one receives the due reward of his valour.
Our first care is to divide the booty we have taken from the enemy.
Equity presides at the distribution.
Every one receives the due reward of his valour.
We have sold our rights of citizenship. We have no reason to regretthe bargain.We have gained honour, of which thehaderknows nothing.We are Kings. There is none to be compared with us.Is it life to undergo humiliation?
We have sold our rights of citizenship. We have no reason to regret
the bargain.
We have gained honour, of which thehaderknows nothing.
We are Kings. There is none to be compared with us.
Is it life to undergo humiliation?
We suffer not the insults of the unjust. We leave him and his land.True happiness is in wandering life.
We suffer not the insults of the unjust. We leave him and his land.
True happiness is in wandering life.
If contact with our neighbour annoys us,We withdraw from him—neither he, nor we, have anything to complain of.What fault, then, hast thou to find with thebedoui?Nothing but his love of glory, and his liberality that knows nostint.Under the tent, the fire of hospitality is kindled for thetraveller.He finds, whoever he may be, a sure remedy against cold and hunger.Ages have told of the salubrity of the Sahara.All disease and sickness dwell only beneath the roof of cities.In the Sahara, whoever is not reaped by the sword sees days withoutnumber;Our old men are the most aged of all men.
If contact with our neighbour annoys us,We withdraw from him—neither he, nor we, have anything to complain of.What fault, then, hast thou to find with thebedoui?Nothing but his love of glory, and his liberality that knows nostint.Under the tent, the fire of hospitality is kindled for thetraveller.He finds, whoever he may be, a sure remedy against cold and hunger.Ages have told of the salubrity of the Sahara.All disease and sickness dwell only beneath the roof of cities.In the Sahara, whoever is not reaped by the sword sees days withoutnumber;Our old men are the most aged of all men.
If contact with our neighbour annoys us,We withdraw from him—neither he, nor we, have anything to complain of.
If contact with our neighbour annoys us,
We withdraw from him—neither he, nor we, have anything to complain of.
What fault, then, hast thou to find with thebedoui?Nothing but his love of glory, and his liberality that knows nostint.
What fault, then, hast thou to find with thebedoui?
Nothing but his love of glory, and his liberality that knows no
stint.
Under the tent, the fire of hospitality is kindled for thetraveller.He finds, whoever he may be, a sure remedy against cold and hunger.
Under the tent, the fire of hospitality is kindled for the
traveller.
He finds, whoever he may be, a sure remedy against cold and hunger.
Ages have told of the salubrity of the Sahara.All disease and sickness dwell only beneath the roof of cities.In the Sahara, whoever is not reaped by the sword sees days withoutnumber;Our old men are the most aged of all men.
Ages have told of the salubrity of the Sahara.
All disease and sickness dwell only beneath the roof of cities.
In the Sahara, whoever is not reaped by the sword sees days without
number;
Our old men are the most aged of all men.