My heart is as a House of Groans From dusky eve to dawning grey; Allah, Allah hu! The glazed flesh on my staring bones Grows black and blacker with decay; Allah, Allah hu! Yet am I none whom Death may slay; I am spared to suffer and to warn; Allah, Allah hu! My lashless eyes are parched to horn With weeping for my sin alway; Allah, Allah hu! For blood, hot blood that no man sees, The blood of one I slew Burns on my hands I cry theref³re, All night long, on my knees, Evermore, Allah, Allah hu! Because I slew him over wine, Because I struck him down at night, Allah, Allah hu! Because he died and made no sign, His blood is always in my sight; Allah, Allah hu! Because I raised my arm to smite While the foul cup was at his lips, Allah, Allah hu! Because I wrought his soul's eclipse He comes between me and the Light; Allah, Allah hu! His is the form my terror sees, The sinner that I slew; My rending cry is still theref³re, All night long, on my knees, Evermore, Allah, Allah hu! Under the all-just Heaven's expanse There is for me no resting-spot; Allah, Allah hu! I dread Man's vengeful countenance, The smiles of Woman win me not; Allah, Allah hu! I wander among graves where rot The carcases of leprous men; Allah, Allah hu! I house me in the dragon's den Till evening darkens grove and grot; Allah, Allah hu! But bootless all!-Who penance drees Must dree it his life through; My heartwrung cry is still theref³re, All night long, on my knees, Evermore, Allah, Allah hu! The silks that swathe my hall deewāān Are damascened with moons of gold; Allah, Allah hu! Musk-roses from my Gulistāān Fill vases of Egyptian mould; Allah, Allah hu! The Koran's treasures lie unrolled Near where my radiant night-lamp burns; Allah, Allah hu! Around me rows of silver urns Perfume the air with odours old; Allah, Allah hu! But what avail these luxuries? The blood of him I slew Burns red on all-I cry theref³re, All night long, on my knees, Evermore, Allah, Allah hu! Can Sultans, can the Guilty Rich Purchase with mines and thrones a draught, Allah, Allah hu! From that Nutulian fount of which The Conscience-tortured whilome quaffed? Allah, Allah hu! Vain dream! Power, Glory, Riches, Craft, Prove magnets for the Sword of Wrath; Allah, Allah hu! Thornplant Man's last and lampless path, And barb the Slaying Angel's shaft; Allah, Allah hu! O! the Bloodguilty ever sees But sights that make him rue, As I do now, and cry theref³re, All night long, on my knees, Evermore, Allah, Allah hu! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN HOSPITAL: 23. MUSIC by WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY THE FIRE OF DRIFTWOOD; DEVEREUX FARM, NEAR MARBLEHEAD by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW WOMAN'S WILL by JOHN GODFREY SAXE CITY LYRICS by NATHANIEL PARKER WILLIS THE WORLD AND THE QUIETEST by MATTHEW ARNOLD IDEOGRAM by ALFRED GOLDSWORTHY BAILEY THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE WALNUT-TREE OF BOARSTELL: ECLOGUE by WILLIAM BASSE |