A Song In The Desert Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEFF FFFF GGHH IBEE EECC JJDD DDEE| Friend thou beholdest the lightning Who has the charge of it | A |
| To decree which rock ridge shall receive shall be chosen for targe of it | A |
| Which crown among palms shall go down by the thunderbolt broken | B |
| While the floods drown the sere wadis where no bud is token | B |
| - | |
| First for my eyes above all he made show of his treasure | C |
| First in his ear before all I made sure of my measure | C |
| If it were good what acclaim None other so moved me | D |
| If it were faulty what shame While he mocked me he loved me | D |
| - | |
| Friend thou hast seen in Rida'ar the low moon descending | E |
| One silent swart swift striding camel oceanward wending | E |
| Browbound and jawbound the rider his shadow in front of him | F |
| Ceaselessly eating the distances That was the wont of him | F |
| - | |
| Whether the cliff walled defiles the ambush prepared for him | F |
| Whether the wave crested dunes a single sword bared for him | F |
| Whether cold danger fore weighed or quick peril that took him | F |
| Alone out of comfort or aid no breath of it shook him | F |
| - | |
| Whether he feasted or fasted sweated or shivered | G |
| There was no proof of the matter no sign was delivered | G |
| Whatever this dust or that heat or those fools that he laboured with | H |
| He forgot and forbore no observance towards any he neighboured with | H |
| - | |
| Friend thou hast known at Rida'ar when the Council was bidden | I |
| One face among faces that leaped to the light and were hidden | B |
| One voice among night wasting voices of boasting and shouting | E |
| And that face and that voice abide with thee His beyond doubting | E |
| - | |
| Never again in Rida'ar my watch fire burning | E |
| That he might see from afar shall I wait his returning | E |
| Or the roar of his beast as she knelt and he leaped to unlade her | C |
| Two handedly tossing me jewels He was no trader | C |
| - | |
| Gems and wrought gold never sold brought for me to behold them | J |
| Tales of far magic unrolled to me only he told them | J |
| With the light easy laugh of dismissal 'twixt story and story | D |
| As a man brushes sand from his hand or the great dismiss glory | D |
| - | |
| Never again in Rida'ar My ways are made black to me | D |
| Whether I sing or am silent he shall not come back to me | D |
| There is no measure for trial nor treasure for bringing | E |
| Allah divides the Companions Yet he said yet he said Cease not from singing | E |
Rudyard Kipling
(1)
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