Laurel · Ambrose Bierce · Shapes of Clay

The Cynic's Bequest

Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914) · 1903

iambic tetrameter · octosyllabic couplets · 210 lines · from Shapes of Clay

In that fair city, Ispahan,There dwelt a problematic man,Whose angel never was released,Who never once let out his beast,But kept, through all the seasons' round,Silence unbroken and profound.No Prophecy, with ear appliedTo key-hole of the future, triedSuccessfully to catch a hintOf what he'd do nor when begin 't;As sternly did his past defyMild Retrospection's backward eye.Though all admired his silent ways,The women loudest were in praise:For ladies love those men the mostWho never, never, never boast--Who ne'er disclose their aims and endsTo naughty, naughty, naughty friends.

Yet, sooth to say, the fame outranThe merit of this doubtful man,For taciturnity in him,Though not a mere caprice or whim,Was not a virtue, such as truth,High birth, or beauty, wealth or youth.

'Twas known, indeed, throughout the spanOf Ispahan, of Gulistan--These utmost limits of the earthKnew that the man was dumb from birth.

Unto the Sun with deep salaamsThe Parsee spreads his morning palms(A beacon blazing on a heightWarms o'er his piety by night.)The Moslem deprecates the deed,Cuts off the head that holds the creed,Then reverently goes to grass,Muttering thanks to Balaam's AssFor faith and learning to refuteIdolatry so dissolute!But should a maniac dash past,With straws in beard and hands upcast,To him (through whom, whene'er inclinedTo preach a bit to Madmankind,The Holy Prophet speaks his mind)Our True Believer lifts his eyesDevoutly and his prayer applies;But next to Solyman the GreatReveres the idiot's sacred state.Small wonder then, our worthy muteWas held in popular repute.Had he been blind as well as mum,Been lame as well as blind and dumb,No bard that ever sang or soaredCould say how he had been adored.More meagerly endowed, he drewAn homage less prodigious. True,No soul his praises but did utter--All plied him with devotion's butter,But none had out--'t was to their credit--The proselyting sword to spread it.I state these truths, exactly whyThe reader knows as well as I;They've nothing in the world to doWith what I hope we're coming toIf Pegasus be good enoughTo move when he has stood enough.Egad! his ribs I would examineHad I a sharper spur than famine,Or even with that if 'twould inclineTo examine his instead of mine.Where was I? Ah, that silent manWho dwelt one time in Ispahan--He had a name--was known to allAs Meerza Solyman Zingall.

There lived afar in Astrabad,A man the world agreed was mad,So wickedly he broke his jokeUpon the heads of duller folk,So miserly, from day to day,He gathered up and hid awayIn vaults obscure and cellars hauntedWhat many worthy people wanted,A stingy man!--the tradesmen's palmsWere spread in vain: "I give no almsWithout inquiry"--so he'd say,And beat the needy duns away.The bastinado did, 'tis true,Persuade him, now and then, a fewOdd tens of thousands to disburseTo glut the taxman's hungry purse,But still, so rich he grew, his fearWas constant that the Shah might hear.(The Shah had heard it long ago,And asked the taxman if 'twere so,Who promptly answered, rather airish,The man had long been on the parish.)The more he feared, the more he grewA cynic and a miser, too,Until his bitterness and pelfMade him a terror to himself;Then, with a razor's neckwise stroke,He tartly cut his final joke.So perished, not an hour too soon,The wicked Muley Ben Maroon.

From Astrabad to IspahanAt camel speed the rumor ranThat, breaking through tradition hoar,And throwing all his kinsmen o'er,The miser'd left his mighty storeOf gold--his palaces and lands--To needy and deserving hands(Except a penny here and thereTo pay the dervishes for prayer.)'Twas known indeed throughout the spanOf earth, and into Hindostan,That our beloved mute was theResiduary legatee.The people said 'twas very well,And each man had a tale to tellOf how he'd had a finger in 'tBy dropping many a friendly hintAt Astrabad, you see. But ah,They feared the news might reach the Shah!To prove the will the lawyers bore 'tBefore the Kadi's awful court,Who nodded, when he heard it read,Confirmingly his drowsy head,Nor thought, his sleepiness so great,Himself to gobble the estate."I give," the dead had writ, "my allTo Meerza Solyman ZingallOf Ispahan. With this estateI might quite easily createTen thousand ingrates, but I shunTemptation and create but one,In whom the whole unthankful crewThe rich man's air that ever drewTo fat their pauper lungs I fireVicarious with vain desire!From foul Ingratitude's base routI pick this hapless devil out,Bestowing on him all my lands,My treasures, camels, slaves and bandsOf wives--I give him all this loot,And throw my blessing in to boot.Behold, O man, in this bequestPhilanthropy's long wrongs redressed:To speak me ill that man I dowerWith fiercest will who lacks the power.Allah il Allah! now let him bloatWith rancor till his heart's afloat,Unable to discharge the waveUpon his benefactor's grave!"

Forth in their wrath the people cameAnd swore it was a sin and shameTo trick their blessed mute; and eachProtested, serious of speech,That though he'd long foreseen the worstHe'd been against it from the first.By various means they vainly triedThe testament to set aside,Each ready with his empty purseTo take upon himself the curse;For they had powers of invectiveEnough to make it ineffective.The ingrates mustered, every man,And marched in force to Ispahan(Which had not quite accommodation)And held a camp of indignation.

The man, this while, who never spoke--On whom had fallen this thunder-strokeOf fortune, gave no feeling ventNor dropped a clue to his intent.Whereas no power to him cameHis benefactor to defame,Some (such a length had slander gone to)Even whispered that he didn't want to!But none his secret could divine;If suffering he made no sign,Until one night as winter nearedFrom all his haunts he disappeared--Evanished in a doubtful blankLike little crayfish in a bank,Their heads retracting for a spell,And pulling in their holes as well.

All through the land of Gul, the stoutYoung Spring is kicking Winter out.The grass sneaks in upon the scene,Defacing it with bottle-green.

The stumbling lamb arrives to plyHis restless tail in every eye,Eats nasty mint to spoil his meatAnd make himself unfit to eat.Madly his throat the bulbul tears--In every grove blasphemes and swearsAs the immodest rose displaysHer shameless charms a dozen ways.Lo! now, throughout the utmost spanOf Ispahan--of Gulistan--A big new book's displayed in allThe shops and cumbers every stall.The price is low--the dealers say 'tis--And the rich are treated to it gratis.Engraven on its foremost pageThese title-words the eye engage:"The Life of Muley Ben Maroon,Of Astrabad--Rogue, Thief, BuffoonAnd Miser--Liver by the SweatOf Better Men: A LamponetteComposed in Rhyme and Written allBy Meerza Solyman Zingall!"

Words in this poem 53

problematic a.: Having the nature of a problem; not shown in fact; questionable; uncertain; unsettled; doubtful. [L. problematicus, Gr. problématique.]
sternly adv.: In a stern manner.
defy v. t.: To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. [F. défier, OF. deffier, desfier, LL. disfidare to disown faith or fidelity, to dissolve the bond of allegiance, as between the vassal and his lord; hence, to ch]
admired a.: Regarded with wonder and delight; highly prized; as, an admired poem.
naughty a.: Having little or nothing.
sooth a.: True; faithful; trustworthy. [OE. soth, AS. s, for san; akin to OS. s, OHG. sand, Icel. sannr, Sw. sann, Dan. sand, Skr. sat, sant, real, genuine, present, being; properly p. pr. from a root]
taciturnity n.: Habilual silence, or reserve in speaking. [L. taciturnitas: cf. F. taciturnité.]
wealth n.: Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
parsee n.: One of the adherents of the Zoroastrian or ancient Persian religion, descended from Persian refugees settled in India; a fire worshiper; a Gheber. [Hind. & Per. parsi a Persian, a follower of Zoroaster, a fire worshiper. Cf. Persian.]
reverently adv.: In a reverent manner; in respectful regard.
dissolute a.: With nerves unstrung; weak. [L. dissolutus, p. p. of dissolvere: cf. F. dissolu. See Dissolve.]
maniac a.: Raving with madness; raging with disordered intellect; affected with mania; mad. [F. maniaque. See Mania.]
upcast v. t.: To cast or throw up; to turn upward.
devoutly adv.: In a devout and reverent manner; with devout emotions; piously.
meagerly adv.: Poorly; thinly.
prodigious a.: Of the nature of a prodigy; marvelous; wonderful; portentous. [L. prodigiosus, fr. prodigium a prodigy; cf. F. prodigieux. See Prodigy.]
egad interj.: An exclamation expressing exultation or surprise, etc. [Euphemistic corruption of the oath, "by God."]
famine n.: General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. [F. famine, fr. L. fames hunger; cf. Gr. hani loss, lack, ha to leave.]
afar adv.: At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [Pref. a-.(for on or of) + far.]
broke v. i.: To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
duller n.: One who, or that which, dulls.
folk n.: In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
miserly a.: Like a miser; very covetous; sordid; niggardly. [From Miser.]
haunted a.: Inhabited by, or subject to the visits of, apparitions; frequented by a ghost.
bastinado n.: A blow with a stick or cudgel. [Sp. bastonada (cf. F. bastonnade), fr. baston (cf. F. b) a stick or staff. See Baston.]
disburse v. t.: To pay out; to expend; -- usually from a public fund or treasury. [OF. desbourser, F. débourser; pref. des- (L. dis- ) + bourse purse. See Burse, and cf. Dispurse.]
promptly adv.: In a prompt manner.
cynic a.: Having the qualities of a surly dog; snarling; captious; currish. [L. cynicus of the sect of Cynics, fr. Gr. Hound.]
pelf n.: Money; riches; lucre; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten or worthless. It has no plural. [OE. pelfir booty, OF. pelfre, akin to pelfrer to plunder, and perh. to E. pillage. Cf. Pilfer.]
tartly adv.: In a tart manner; with acidity.
muley n.: A stiff, long saw, guided at the ends but not stretched in a gate. Muley axle (Railroad), a car axle without collars at the outer ends of the journals. Forney.
hoar v. t.: To become moldy or musty. [AS. harian to grow gray.]
residuary a.: Consisting of residue; as, residuary matter; pertaining to the residue, or part remaining; as, the residuary advantage of an estate. [See Residue.]
legatee n.: One to whom a legacy is bequeathed. [See Legacy.]
confirmingly adv.: In a confirming manner.
gobble v. t.: To swallow or eat greedily or hastily; to gulp. [Freq. of 2d gob.]
pauper n.: A poor person; especially, one development on private or public charity. Also used adjectively; as, pouper immigrants, pouper labor. [L. See Poor.]
vicarious a.: Of or pertaining to a vicar, substitute, or deputy; deputed; delegated; as, vicarious power or authority. [L. vicarius, from vicis change, alternation, turn, the position, place, or office of one person as assumed by another; akin to Gr. wechsel a change, and probabl]
hapless a.: Without hap or luck; luckless; unfortunate; unlucky; unhappy; as, hapless youth; hapless maid.
loot n.: The act of plundering. [Hind. l, Skr. l, l, booty, lup to break, spoil; prob. akin to E. rob.]
allah n.: The name of the Supreme Being, in use among the Arabs and the Mohammedans generally. [contr. fr. the article al the + ilah God.]
bloat v. t.: To make turgid, as with water or air; to cause a swelling of the surface of, from effusion of serum in the cellular tissue, producing a morbid enlargement, often accompanied with softness. [Cf. Icel. blotna to become soft, blautr soft, wet, Sw. blöt soft, blöta to soak; akin to G. bloss bare, and AS. bleát wretched; or perh. fr. root of Eng. 5th bl]
rancor n.: The deepest malignity or spite; deep-seated enmity or malice; inveterate hatred. [OE. rancour, OF. rancor, rancur, F. rancune, fr. L. rancor rancidity, rankness; tropically, an old grudge, rancor, fr. rancere to be rank or rancid.]
afloat adv.: Borne on the water; floating; on board ship. [Pref. a- + float.]
foreseen conj.: , or (strictly) p. p. Provided; in case that; on condition that.
ineffective a.: Not effective; ineffectual; futile; inefficient; useless; as, an ineffective appeal. [Pref. in- not + effective: cf. F. ineffectif.]
spoke n.: The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
clue n.: A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself. [OE. clewe, clowe, clue, AS. cleowen, cliwen, clywe ball of thread; akin to D. kluwen, OHG. chliwa, chliuwa, G. dim. kleuel, knäuel, and perch. to L. gluma hull,]
whereas adv.: At which place; where.
madly adv.: In a mad manner; without reason or understanding; wildly. [From Mad, a.]
bulbul n.: The Persian nightingale (Pycnonotus jocosus). The name is also applied to several other Asiatic singing birds, of the family Timaliidæ. The green bulbuls belong to the Chloropsis and allied genera. [Per.]
immodest a.: Not limited to due bounds; immoderate. [F. immodeste, L. immodestus immoderate; pref. im- not + modestus modest. See Modest.]
gratis adv.: For nothing; without fee or recompense; freely; gratuitously. [L., contr. fr. gratiis out of favor or kindness, without recompense, for nothing, fr. gratia favor. See Grace.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

The Cynic's Bequest is in the public domain. This text is taken from Shapes of Clay (1903), Project Gutenberg ebook #12658; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Ambrose Bierce, The Cynic's Bequest, in Shapes of Clay (1903), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #12658, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/bierce-shapes-of-clay/the-cynics-bequest.html, id L28040.

Form and metre

The Cynic's Bequest is 210 lines in 10 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 82% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 91%).

See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, other poems in iambic tetrameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 --AABBCC-DDDEEFFGG ispahan · man · released^A · beast^A · round^B · profound^B · applied^C · tried^C · hint · t^D · defy^D · eye^D · ways^E · praise^E · most^F · boast^F · ends^G · friends^G
2 AABBCC outran^A · man^A · him^B · whim^B · truth^C · youth^C
3 AABB span^A · gulistan^A · earth^B · birth^B
4 AABBCCDDEEFFGGGHHIIJJKKLLMMNNOOPPQQ--RRRRR-SS salaams^A · palms^A · height^B · night^B · deed^C · creed^C · grass^D · ass^D · refute^E · dissolute^E · past^F · upcast^F · inclined^G · madmankind^G · mind^G · eyes^H · applies^H · great^I · state^I · mute^J · repute^J · mum^K · dumb^K · soared^L · adored^L · drew^M · true^M · utter^N · butter^N · credit^O · it^O · why^P · i^P · do^Q · to^Q · enough · enough · examine^R · famine^R · incline^R · mine^R · man^R · ispahan · all^S · zingall^S
5 AABBCCDDEECCFFGGHHIIJJFFKKBBLL astrabad^A · mad^A · joke^B · folk^B · day^C · away^C · haunted^D · wanted^D · palms^E · alms^E · say^C · away^C · true^F · few^F · disburse^G · purse^G · fear^H · hear^H · ago^I · so^I · airish^J · parish^J · grew^F · too^F · pelf^K · himself^K · stroke^B · joke^B · soon^L · maroon^L
6 --A-ABBCCDD-EFFE-GG--HHIIJJIIKKLLMMNNOOPP----QQRR ispahan · ran · hoar^A · o'er · store^A · lands^B · hands^B · there^C · prayer^C · span^D · hindostan^D · the · legatee^E · well^F · tell^F · t^E · hint · ah^G · shah^G · t · court · read^H · head^H · great^I · estate^I · all^J · zingall^J · estate^I · create^I · shun^K · one^K · crew^L · drew^L · fire^M · desire^M · rout^N · out^N · lands^O · bands^O · loot^P · boot^P · bequest · redressed · dower · power · bloat^Q · afloat^Q · wave^R · grave^R
7 AABBCCDDEEFFG-GG came^A · shame^A · each^B · speech^B · worst^C · first^C · tried^D · aside^D · purse^E · curse^E · invective^F · ineffective^F · man^G · ispahan · accommodation^G · indignation^G
8 AABBCCDDEEFFGGHH spoke^A · stroke^A · vent^B · intent^B · came^C · defame^C · to^D · to^D · divine^E · sign^E · neared^F · disappeared^F · blank^G · bank^G · spell^H · well^H
9 AABB stout^A · out^A · scene^B · green^B
10 AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKK ply^A · eye^A · meat^B · eat^B · tears^C · swears^C · displays^D · ways^D · span^E · gulistan^E · all^F · stall^F · tis^G · gratis^G · page^H · engage^H · maroon^I · buffoon^I · sweat^J · lamponette^J · all^K · zingall^K

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
In that fair city, Ispahan,	8	···/˘···
There dwelt a problematic man,	8	····˘/˘·
Whose angel never was released,	8	·/˘/˘·˘/
Who never once let out his beast,	8	·/˘·····
But kept, through all the seasons' round,	8	·····/˘·
Silence unbroken and profound.	8	/˘˘/˘·˘/
No Prophecy, with ear applied	8	·/˘˘··˘/
To key-hole of the future, tried	8	·····/˘·
Successfully to catch a hint	8	˘/˘˘····
Of what he'd do nor when begin 't;	9	······˘/·
As sternly did his past defy	8	·/˘···˘/
Mild Retrospection's backward eye.	8	·····/˘·
Though all admired his silent ways,	8	··˘/·/˘·
The women loudest were in praise:	8	·/˘/˘···
For ladies love those men the most	8	·/˘·····
Who never, never, never boast--	8	·/˘/˘/˘·
Who ne'er disclose their aims and ends	8	··˘/····
To naughty, naughty, naughty friends.	8	·/˘/˘/˘·
Yet, sooth to say, the fame outran	8	······˘/
The merit of this doubtful man,	8	·/˘··/˘·
For taciturnity in him,	8	········
Though not a mere caprice or whim,	8	····˘/··
Was not a virtue, such as truth,	8	···/˘···
High birth, or beauty, wealth or youth.	8	···/˘···
'Twas known, indeed, throughout the span	8	··˘/····
Of Ispahan, of Gulistan--	8	········
These utmost limits of the earth	8	·/·/˘···
Knew that the man was dumb from birth.	8	········
Unto the Sun with deep salaams	8	······˘/
The Parsee spreads his morning palms	8	·/˘··/˘·
(A beacon blazing on a height	8	·/˘/˘···
Warms o'er his piety by night.)	8	···/˘˘··
The Moslem deprecates the deed,	8	·/˘/˘···
Cuts off the head that holds the creed,	8	········
Then reverently goes to grass,	8	·/˘˘˘···
Muttering thanks to Balaam's Ass	8	/˘˘·····
For faith and learning to refute	8	···/˘·˘/
Idolatry so dissolute!	8	˘/˘˘·/˘˘
But should a maniac dash past,	8	···/˘···
With straws in beard and hands upcast,	8	······/˘
To him (through whom, whene'er inclined	9	·······˘/
To preach a bit to Madmankind,	8	········
The Holy Prophet speaks his mind)	8	·/˘/˘···
Our True Believer lifts his eyes	8	/·˘/˘···
Devoutly and his prayer applies;	8	˘/˘···˘/
But next to Solyman the Great	8	········
Reveres the idiot's sacred state.	8	˘/·/˘/˘·
Small wonder then, our worthy mute	8	·/˘·//˘·
Was held in popular repute.	8	···/˘˘˘/
Had he been blind as well as mum,	8	········
Been lame as well as blind and dumb,	8	········
No bard that ever sang or soared	8	···/˘···
Could say how he had been adored.	8	······˘/
More meagerly endowed, he drew	8	····˘/··
An homage less prodigious. True,	8	·/˘·˘/˘·
No soul his praises but did utter--	9	···/˘··/˘
All plied him with devotion's butter,	9	····˘/˘/˘
But none had out--'t was to their credit--	10	········/˘
The proselyting sword to spread it.	9	·········
I state these truths, exactly why	8	····˘/˘·
The reader knows as well as I;	8	·/˘·····
They've nothing in the world to do	8	·/˘·····
With what I hope we're coming to	8	·····/˘·
If Pegasus be good enough	8	·/˘˘··˘/
To move when he has stood enough.	8	······˘/
Egad! his ribs I would examine	9	˘/····˘/˘
Had I a sharper spur than famine,	9	···/˘··/˘
Or even with that if 'twould incline	8	·/····˘/
To examine his instead of mine.	9	·˘/˘·˘/··
Where was I? Ah, that silent man	8	·····/˘·
Who dwelt one time in Ispahan--	8	········
He had a name--was known to all	8	········
As Meerza Solyman Zingall.	8	········
There lived afar in Astrabad,	8	··˘/····
A man the world agreed was mad,	8	····˘/··
So wickedly he broke his joke	8	·/˘˘····
Upon the heads of duller folk,	8	·····/˘·
So miserly, from day to day,	8	·/˘˘····
He gathered up and hid away	8	·/˘···˘/
In vaults obscure and cellars haunted	9	··˘/·/˘/˘
What many worthy people wanted,	9	·/˘/˘/˘/˘
A stingy man!--the tradesmen's palms	8	·/˘··/˘·
Were spread in vain: "I give no alms	8	········
Without inquiry"--so he'd say,	8	··˘/˘···
And beat the needy duns away.	8	···/˘·˘/
The bastinado did, 'tis true,	8	········
Persuade him, now and then, a few	8	˘/······
Odd tens of thousands to disburse	8	···/˘·˘/
To glut the taxman's hungry purse,	8	·····/˘·
But still, so rich he grew, his fear	8	········
Was constant that the Shah might hear.	8	·/˘·····
(The Shah had heard it long ago,	8	······˘/
And asked the taxman if 'twere so,	8	········
Who promptly answered, rather airish,	9	·/˘/˘/˘··
The man had long been on the parish.)	9	·······/˘
The more he feared, the more he grew	8	········
A cynic and a miser, too,	8	·/˘··/˘·
Until his bitterness and pelf	8	···/˘˘··
Made him a terror to himself;	8	···/˘·˘/
Then, with a razor's neckwise stroke,	8	···/˘···
He tartly cut his final joke.	8	·/˘··/˘·
So perished, not an hour too soon,	8	·/˘··/··
The wicked Muley Ben Maroon.	8	·/˘/˘·˘/
From Astrabad to Ispahan	8	········
At camel speed the rumor ran	8	·/˘··/˘·
That, breaking through tradition hoar,	8	·/˘·˘/˘·
And throwing all his kinsmen o'er,	8	·/˘·····
The miser'd left his mighty store	8	·····/˘·
Of gold--his palaces and lands--	8	···/˘˘··
To needy and deserving hands	8	·/˘·˘/˘·
(Except a penny here and there	8	···/˘···
To pay the dervishes for prayer.)	8	···/˘˘··
'Twas known indeed throughout the span	8	··˘/····
Of earth, and into Hindostan,	8	········
That our beloved mute was the	8	·/˘˘/···
Residuary legatee.	8	˘/˘˘˘···
The people said 'twas very well,	8	·/˘··/˘·
And each man had a tale to tell	8	········
Of how he'd had a finger in 't	9	·····/˘··
By dropping many a friendly hint	8	·/˘/·/˘·
At Astrabad, you see. But ah,	8	········
They feared the news might reach the Shah!	8	········
To prove the will the lawyers bore 't	9	·····/˘··
Before the Kadi's awful court,	8	·····/˘·
Who nodded, when he heard it read,	8	·/˘·····
Confirmingly his drowsy head,	8	˘/˘˘·/˘·
Nor thought, his sleepiness so great,	8	···/˘˘··
Himself to gobble the estate.	8	˘/·/˘·˘/
"I give," the dead had writ, "my all	8	········
To Meerza Solyman Zingall	8	········
Of Ispahan. With this estate	8	······˘/
I might quite easily create	8	···/˘˘˘/
Ten thousand ingrates, but I shun	8	·/˘·····
Temptation and create but one,	8	˘/˘·˘/··
In whom the whole unthankful crew	8	········
The rich man's air that ever drew	8	·····/˘·
To fat their pauper lungs I fire	9	···/˘··/˘
Vicarious with vain desire!	9	˘/˘˘··˘/˘
From foul Ingratitude's base rout	8	········
I pick this hapless devil out,	8	···/˘/˘·
Bestowing on him all my lands,	8	˘/˘·····
My treasures, camels, slaves and bands	8	·/˘/˘···
Of wives--I give him all this loot,	8	········
And throw my blessing in to boot.	8	···/˘···
Behold, O man, in this bequest	8	˘/····˘/
Philanthropy's long wrongs redressed:	8	˘/˘˘··˘/
To speak me ill that man I dower	8	········
With fiercest will who lacks the power.	9	·/˘····/˘
Allah il Allah! now let him bloat	9	/˘·/˘····
With rancor till his heart's afloat,	8	·/˘···˘/
Unable to discharge the wave	8	˘/˘·˘/··
Upon his benefactor's grave!"	8	···/˘·˘·
Forth in their wrath the people came	8	·····/˘·
And swore it was a sin and shame	8	········
To trick their blessed mute; and each	8	····˘···
Protested, serious of speech,	8	˘/˘/˘˘··
That though he'd long foreseen the worst	8	·····/··
He'd been against it from the first.	8	········
By various means they vainly tried	8	·/˘··/˘·
The testament to set aside,	8	·/˘˘··˘/
Each ready with his empty purse	8	·/˘··/˘·
To take upon himself the curse;	8	····˘/··
For they had powers of invective	9	···/˘·˘/˘
Enough to make it ineffective.	9	˘/···˘˘/˘
The ingrates mustered, every man,	8	···/˘/˘·
And marched in force to Ispahan	8	········
(Which had not quite accommodation)	9	····˘·˘/˘
And held a camp of indignation.	9	······˘/˘
The man, this while, who never spoke--	8	·····/˘·
On whom had fallen this thunder-stroke	9	···/˘·/˘·
Of fortune, gave no feeling vent	8	·/˘··/˘·
Nor dropped a clue to his intent.	8	······˘/
Whereas no power to him came	8	˘/·/˘···
His benefactor to defame,	8	·/˘·˘·˘/
Some (such a length had slander gone to)	9	·····/˘··
Even whispered that he didn't want to!	9	//˘··/˘··
But none his secret could divine;	8	···/˘·˘/
If suffering he made no sign,	8	·/˘˘····
Until one night as winter neared	8	·····/˘·
From all his haunts he disappeared--	8	······˘/
Evanished in a doubtful blank	8	·····/˘·
Like little crayfish in a bank,	8	·/˘/˘···
Their heads retracting for a spell,	8	··˘/˘···
And pulling in their holes as well.	8	·/˘·····
All through the land of Gul, the stout	8	········
Young Spring is kicking Winter out.	8	···/˘/˘·
The grass sneaks in upon the scene,	8	········
Defacing it with bottle-green.	8	˘/˘··/˘·
The stumbling lamb arrives to ply	8	·/˘·˘/··
His restless tail in every eye,	8	·/˘··/˘·
Eats nasty mint to spoil his meat	8	·/˘·····
And make himself unfit to eat.	8	··˘/˘/··
Madly his throat the bulbul tears--	8	/˘···/˘·
In every grove blasphemes and swears	8	·/˘·····
As the immodest rose displays	8	··˘/˘·˘/
Her shameless charms a dozen ways.	8	·/˘··/˘·
Lo! now, throughout the utmost span	8	·····/··
Of Ispahan--of Gulistan--	8	········
A big new book's displayed in all	8	····˘/··
The shops and cumbers every stall.	8	···/˘/˘·
The price is low--the dealers say 'tis--	9	·····/˘··
And the rich are treated to it gratis.	10	····/˘··/˘
Engraven on its foremost page	8	·····/··
These title-words the eye engage:	8	·/˘···˘/
"The Life of Muley Ben Maroon,	8	···/˘·˘/
Of Astrabad--Rogue, Thief, Buffoon	8	······˘/
And Miser--Liver by the Sweat	8	·/˘/˘···
Of Better Men: A Lamponette	8	·/˘·····
Composed in Rhyme and Written all	8	˘/···/˘·
By Meerza Solyman Zingall!"	8	········

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

More by Ambrose Bierce

Shapes of Clay