Days and Dreams Part 15

In that thou look'st upon me--what thou art!-- As one fit for contempt, thou lack'st no part Of my disdain?--Allah! I would not own A dog of thine for friend no other known-- Of speech a tyrant, manners of an a.s.s!"

And flung him, rags and rage, into the gra.s.s.

Provoked, astonished, wrinkled angrily, Hissed Hisham, "Slave! thou know'st me not I see!"

Calmly the youth, "Aye, verily I know, O mannerless! thy tongue hath told me so, Thy tongue commanding ere it spake me _peace_-- Soon art thou known, nor late may knowledge cease."

"O dog! I am thy Khalif! by a hair Thy life hangs rav'ling."

"May it dangle there Till thou art rotted!--Whiles, upon thy head Misfortunes shower!--Of his dwelling place, Allah, be thou forgetful!--What! his grace Hisham ben Merwan, king of many words-- Few generosities!"...

A flash of swords In drifts of dust and lo! the Khalif's troops Surrounding ride. As when a merlin stoops Some stranger quarry, prey that swims the wind, Heron or eagle; kenning not its kind There whence 'tis cast until it, towering, feels An eagle's tearing talons, falling reels In broken circles downward--so the youth, An Arab fearless as the face of Truth Of all that made him instant of his death, Waited with eyes indifferent, equal breath.

The palace reached, "Bring in the prisoner Before the Khalif," and he came as were He in no wise concerned: unquestioning went Chin bowed on breast, and on his feet a bent Dark gaze of scornful freedom unafraid, Till at the Khalif's throne his steps were staid; And unsaluting, standing head held down, An armed attendant blazed him with a frown, "Dog of the Bedouins! thy eyes rot out!

Insulter! must the whole big world needs shout 'Commander of the Faithful,' so thou see?"

To him the Arab sneering, "Verily, Packsaddle of an a.s.s."

The Khalif's rage Exceeded now, and, "By my realm and rage!

Arab, thy hour is come, thy very last; Thy hope is vanished and thy life is past."

The shepherd answered, "Aye?--by Allah, then, O Hisham, if my time be stretched again, Unscissored of what Destiny ordain, Little or great, thy words give little pain."

Then the chief Chamberlain, "O vilest one Of all the Arabs! wilt thou not be done Bandying thy baseness with the Ruler of The Faithful?" spat upon his face. A scoff Fiery made answer:

"There be some have heard The nonsense of our G.o.d, the text absurd, 'One day each soul whatever shall be prompt To bow before me and to give accompt.'"

Then wroth indeed was Hisham; hotly said, "He braves us!--headsman, ho! his peevish head!

See; canst thou medicine its speech anew, Doctor its multiplying words to few; Divorce them well." So, where the Arab stood, Bound him; made kneel upon the cloth of blood: With curving sword the headsman leaned at pause, And, even as 'tis custom made of laws, To the descendant of the Prophet quoth, "O Khalif, shall I strike?"

"By Iblis' oath!

Strike!" answered Hisham; but again the slave Questioned; and yet again the Khalif gave His nodded "yea"; and for the third time then He asked--and knowing neither men nor Jinn Might save him if the Khalif spake a.s.sent, Signalled the sword, the youth with body bent Laughed--till the w.a.n.g-teeth of each jaw appeared, Laughed--as with scorn the King of kings he 'd beard, Insulting death. So, with redoubled spleen Roared Hisham rising, "It is truly seen That thou art mad who mockest Azrael!"

The Arab answered: "Listen!--Once befell, Commander of the Faithful, that a hawk, A hungry hawk, pounced on a sparrow-c.o.c.k; And winging nestward with his meal in claw, To him the sparrow, for the creature saw The hawk's conceit, addressed this slyly, 'Oh, Most great, most royal, there is not, I know, That in me which will stay thy stomach's stress, I am too paltry for thy mightiness'; With which the hawk was pleased, and flattered so In his self-praise, he let the sparrow go."

Then smiled the Khalif Hisham; and a sign Staying the scimitar, that hung malign A threatening crescent, said, "G.o.d bless, preserve The Prophet whom all true believers serve!-- Now by my kinship to the Prophet, and Had he at first but spake us thus this hand Had ne'er been reckless, and instead of hate He had had all--except the Khalifate."

Bade stuff his mouth with jewels and entreat Him courteously, then from the palace beat.

THE END.