Laurel · George MacDonald · A Microcosm in Terza Rima, and Other Poems

Abu Midjan

George MacDonald (1824–1905) · 1893

iambic tetrameter · octosyllabic couplets · 276 lines · from A Microcosm in Terza Rima, and Other Poems

"If I sit in the dustFor lauding good wine,Ha, ha! it is just:So sits the vine!"

Abu Midjan sang as he sat in chains,For the blood of the grape ran the juice of his veins.The Prophet had said, "O Faithful, drink not!"Abu Midjan drank till his heart was hot;Yea, he sang a song in praise of wine,He called it good names--a joy divine,The giver of might, the opener of eyes,Love's handmaid, the water of Paradise!Therefore Saad his chief spake words of blame,And set him in irons--a fettered flame;But he sings of the wine as he sits in his chains,For the blood of the grape runs the juice of his veins:

"I will not thinkThat the Prophet saidYe shall not drinkOf the flowing red!"

"'Tis a drenched brainWhose after-stingCries out, Refrain:'Tis an evil thing!

"But I will dare,With a goodly drought,To drink, nor spareTill my thirst be out.

"I do not laughLike a Christian foolBut in silence quaffThe liquor cool

"At door of tent'Neath evening star,With daylight spent,And Uriel afar!

"Then, through the sky,Lo, the emerald hills!My faith swells high,My bosom thrills:

"I see them hearken,The Houris that wait!Their dark eyes darkenThe diamond gate!

"I hear the floatOf their chant divine,And my heart like a boatSails thither on wine!

"Can an evil thingMake beauty more?Or a sinner bringTo the heavenly door?

"The sun-rain fineWould sink and escape,But is drunk by the vine,Is stored in the grape:

"And the prisoned lightI free again:It flows in mightThrough my shining brain

"I love and I know;The truth is mine;I walk in the glowOf the sun-bred wine.

"I will not thinkThat the Prophet saidYe shall not drinkOf the flowing red!

"For his promises, lo,Sevenfold they shineWhen the channels o'erflowWith the singing wine!

"But I care not, I!--'tis a small annoyTo sit in chains for a heavenly joy!"

Away went the song on the light wind borne;His head sank down, and a ripple of scornShook the hair that flowed from his curling lipAs he eyed his brown limbs in the iron's grip.

Sudden his forehead he lifted high:A faint sound strayed like a moth-wing by!Like beacons his eyes burst blazing forth:A dust-cloud he spied in the distant north!A noise and a smoke on the plain afar?'Tis the cloud and the clang of the Moslem war!He leapt aloft like a tiger snared;The wine in his veins through his visage flared;He tore at his fetters in bootless ire,He called the Prophet, he named his sire;From his lips, with wild shout, the Techir burst;He danced in his irons; the Giaours he cursed;And his eyes they flamed like a beacon dun,Or like wine in the crystal twixt eye and sun.

The lady of Saad heard him shout,Heard his fetters ring on the stones aboutThe heart of a warrior she understood,And the rage of the thwarted battle-mood:Her name, with the cry of an angry prayer,He called but once, and the lady was there.

"The Giaour!" he panted, "the Godless brute!And me like a camel tied foot to foot!Let me go, and I swear by Allah's fearAt sunset I don again this gear,Or lie in a heaven of starry eyes,Kissed by moon-maidens of Paradise!O lady, grant me the death of the just!Hark to the hurtle! see the dust!"

With ready fingers the noble dameUnlocked her husband's iron blame;Brought his second horse, his Abdon, out,And his second hauberk, light and stout;Harnessed the warrior, and hight him goAn angel of vengeance upon the foe.

With clank of steel and thud of hoofAway he galloped; she climbed the roof.

She sees the cloud and the flashes that leapFrom the scythe-shaped swords inside it that sweepDown with back-stroke the disordered swath:Thither he speeds, a bolt of wrath!Straight as an arrow she sees him go,Abu Midjan, the singer, upon the foe!Like an eagle he vanishes in the cloud,And the thunder of battle bursts more loud,Mingled of crashes and blows and falls,Of the whish that severs the throat that calls,Of neighing and shouting and groaning grim:Abu Midjan, she sees no more of him!Northward the battle drifts afarOn the flowing tide of the holy war.

Lonely across the desert sand,From his wrist by its thong hung his clotted brand,Red in the sunset's level flameBack to his bonds Abu Midjan came.

"Lady, I swear your Saad's horse--The Prophet himself might have rode a worse!Like the knots of a serpent the play of his fleshAs he tore to the quarry in Allah's mesh!I forgot him, and mowed at the traitor weeds,Which fell before me like rushes and reeds,Or like the tall poppies that sudden drop lowTheir heads to an urchin's unstrung bow!Fled the Giaour; the faithful flew after to kill;I turned to surrender: beneath me stillWas Abdon unjaded, fresh in force,Faithful and fearless--a heavenly horse!Give him water, lady, and barley to eat;Then haste thee and fetter the wine-bibber's feet."

To the terrace he went, and she to the stall;She tended the horse like guest in hall,Then to the warrior unhasting returned.The fire of the fight in his eyes yet burned,But he sat in a silence that might betokenOne ashamed that his heart had spoken--Though where was the word to breed remorse?He had lauded only his chief's brave horse!Not a word she spoke, but his fetters locked;He watched with a smile that himself bemocked;She left him seated in caitiff-plight,Like one that had feared and fled the fight.

But what singer ever sat lonely longEre the hidden fountain burst in song!The battle wine foamed in the warrior's veins,And he sang sword-tempest who sat in chains.

"Oh, the wineOf the vineIs a feeble thing!In the rattleOf battleThe true grapes spring!

"When on whirOf TecbirAllah's wrath flies,And the powerOf the GiaourA blasted leaf lies!

"When on forceOf the horseThe arm flung abroadIs sweeping,And reapingThe harvest of God!

"Ha! they dropFrom the topTo the sear heap below!Ha! deeper,Down steeper,The infidels go!

"AzraelSheer to hellShoots the foul shoals!There MonkerAnd NakirTorture their souls!

"But when dropOn their cropThe scimitars red,And underWar's thunderThe faithful lie dead,

"Oh, brightIs the lightOn hero slow breaking!Rapturous facesBent for embracesWatch for his waking!

"And he hearsIn his earsThe voice of Life's river,Like a songOf the strong,Jubilant ever!

"Oh, the wineOf the vineMay lead to the gates,But the rattleOf battleWakes the angel who waits!

"To the lordOf the swordOpen it must!The drinker,The thinkerSits in the dust!

"He dreamsOf the gleamsOf their garments of white;He missesTheir kisses,The maidens of light!

"They longFor the strongWho has burst through alarms--Up, by the labourOf stirrup and sabre,Up to their arms!

"Oh, the wine of the grape is a feeble ghost!The wine of the fight is the joy of a host!"

When Saad came home from the far pursuit,An hour he sat, and an hour was mute.Then he opened his mouth: "Ah, wife, the fightHad been lost full sure, but an arm of mightSudden rose up on the crest of the battle,Flashed blue lightnings, thundered steel rattle,Took up the fighting, and drove it on--Enoch sure, or the good Saint John!Wherever he leaped, like a lion he,The battle was thickest, or soon to be!Wherever he sprang with his lion roar,In a minute the battle was there no more!With a headlong fear, the sinners fled,And we swept them down the steep of the dead:Before us, not from us, did they flee,They ceased in the depths of a new Red Sea!But him who saved us we saw no more;He went as he came, by a secret door!And strangest of all--nor think I errIf a miracle I for truth aver--I was close to him thrice--the holy ForceWore my silver-ringed hauberk, rode Abdon my horse!"

The lady rose up, withholding her word,And led to the terrace her wondering lord,Where, song-soothed, and weary with battle strain,Abu Midjan sat counting the links of his chain:"The battle was raging, he raging worse;I freed him, harnessed him, gave him thy horse."

"Abu Midjan! the singer of love and of wine!The arm of the battle, it also was thine?Rise up, shake the irons from off thy feet:For the lord of the fight are fetters meet?If thou wilt, then drink till thou be hoar:Allah shall judge thee; I judge no more!"

Abu Midjan arose; he flung asideThe clanking fetters, and thus he cried:"If thou give me to God and his decrees,Nor purge my sin with the shame of these,Wrath against me I dare not store:In the name of Allah, I drink no more!"

Words in this poem 45

drank n.: Wild oats, or darnel grass. See Drake a plant. [Cf. 3d Drake.]
giver n.: One who gives; a donor; a bestower; a grantor; one who imparts or distributes.
opener n.: One who, or that which, opens.
handmaid n.: A maid that waits at hand; a female servant or attendant.
fettered a.: Seeming as if fettered, as the feet pf certain animals which bend backward, and appear unfit for walking.
shall v. i.: To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
goodly a.: Pleasant; agreeable; desirable. [OE. godlich, AS. g. See Good, and Like.]
quaff v. t.: To drink with relish; to drink copiously of; to swallow in large draughts. [For quach, fr. Gael. & Ir. cuach a drinking cup; cf. L. caucus a drinking vessel. Cf. Quaigh.]
daylight n.: The light of day as opposed to the darkness of night; the light of the sun, as opposed to that of the moon or to artificial light.
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.]
sinner n.: One who has sinned; especially, one who has sinned without repenting; hence, a persistent and incorrigible transgressor; one condemned by the law of God.
sevenfold a.: Repeated seven times; having seven thicknesses; increased to seven times the size or amount.
went n.: Course; way; path; journey; direction.
shook v. t.: To pack, as staves, in a shook.
clang v. t.: To strike together so as to produce a ringing metallic sound. [L. clangere; akin to Gr. clank.]
visage n.: The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; -- chiefly applied to the human face. [F. visage, from L. visus a seeing, a look, fr. videre, visum, to see. See Vision.]
tore n.: The dead grass that remains on mowing land in winter and spring. Mortimer. [Probably from the root of tear; cf. W. tór a break, cut, tóri to break, cut.]
bootless a.: Unavailing; unprofitable; useless; without advantage or success. [From Boot profit.]
sire n.: A lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.]
cursed a.: Deserving a curse; execrable; hateful; detestable; abominable.
angry a.: Troublesome; vexatious; rigorous. [See Anger.]
giaour n.: An infidel; -- a term applied by Turks to disbelievers in the Mohammedan religion, especially Christrians. [Turk. giaur an infidel, Per. gawr, another form of ghebr fire worshiper. Cf. Kaffir, Gheber .]
godless a.: Having, or acknowledging, no God; without reverence for God; impious; wicked.
starry a.: Abounding with stars; adorned with stars.
hurtle v. i.: To meet with violence or shock; to clash; to jostle. [OE. hurtlen, freq. of hurten. See Hurt, v. t., and cf. Hurl.]
dame n.: A mistress of a family, who is a lady; a womam in authority; especially, a lady. [F. dame, LL. domna, fr. L. domina mistress, lady, fem. of dominus master, ruler, lord; akin to domare to tame, subdue. See Tame, and cf. Dam mother, Dan, Danger]
hight v. t.: To be called or named. [OE. heiten, highten, haten, hoten; also hight, hatte, hette, is called, was called, AS. hatan to call, name, be called, to command, promise; also hatte is calle]
clank n.: A sharp, brief, ringing sound, made by a collision of metallic or other sonorous bodies; -- usually expressing a duller or less resounding sound than clang, and a deeper and stronger sound than clink. [Akin to clink, and of imitative origin; cf. G. klang sound, D. klank. Cf. Clang.]
northward a.: Toward the north; nearer to the north than to the east or west point. [AS. noredhweard.]
rode n.: Redness; complexion. [See Rud.]
mesh n.: The opening or space inclosed by the threads of a net between knot and knot, or the threads inclosing such a space; network; a net. [AS. masc, max, m; akin to D. maas, masche, OHG. masca, Icel. möskvi; cf. Lith. mazgas a knot, megsti to weave nets, to knot.]
betoken v. t.: To signify by some visible object; to show by signs or tokens.
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.]
caitiff a.: Captive; wretched; unfortunate. [OE. caitif, cheitif, captive, miserable, OF. caitif, chaitif, captive, mean, wretched, F. chétif, fr. L. captivus captive, fr. capere to take, akin to E. heave.]
plight v. t.: To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait. [OE. pliten; probably through Old French, fr. LL. plectare, L. plectere. See Plait, Ply.]
blasted a.: Blighted; withered.
steeper n.: A vessel, vat, or cistern, in which things are steeped.
jubilant a.: Uttering songs of triumph; shouting with joy; triumphant; exulting. [L. jubilans, -antis, p. pr. of jubilare to shout for joy: cf. F. jubila. See Jubilate.]
sabre n.: A sword with a broad and heavy blade, thick at the back, and usually more or less curved like a scimiter; a cavalry sword. Saber fish, or Sabre fish (Zoöl.), the cutlass fish.
ghost n.: The spirit; the soul of man. [OE. gast, gost, soul, spirit, AS. gast breath, spirit, soul; akin to OS. g spirit, soul, D. geest, G. geist, and prob. to E. gaze, ghastly.]
drove n.: A collection of cattle driven, or cattle collected for driving; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep, or swine, driven in a body. [AS. draf, fr. drifan to drive. See Drive.]
wherever adv.: At or in whatever place; wheresoever.
aver n.: A work horse, or working ox. [OF. aver domestic animal, whence LL. averia, pl. cattle. See Habit, and cf. Average.]
hoar v. t.: To become moldy or musty. [AS. harian to grow gray.]
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.]

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

About this text

Abu Midjan is in the public domain. This text is taken from The poetical works of George MacDonald in two volumes — Volume 2, Project Gutenberg ebook #9984; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: George MacDonald, Abu Midjan, in A Microcosm in Terza Rima, and Other Poems (1893), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #9984, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/macdonald-poems/abu-midjan.html, id L22294.

Form and metre

Abu Midjan is 276 lines in 45 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 51% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. This poem did not settle on a metre of its own; the book it comes from is in iambic tetrameter.

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 ABAB dust^A · wine^B · just^A · vine^B
2 AABBCC--DDAA chains^A · veins^A · not^B · hot^B · wine^C · divine^C · eyes · paradise · blame^D · flame^D · chains^A · veins^A
3 ABAB think^A · said^B · drink^A · red^B
4 ABAB brain^A · sting^B · refrain^A · thing^B
5 ABAB dare^A · drought^B · spare^A · out^B
6 ABAB laugh^A · fool^B · quaff^A · cool^B
7 ABAB tent^A · star^B · spent^A · afar^B
8 ABAB sky^A · hills^B · high^A · thrills^B
9 ABAB hearken^A · wait^B · darken^A · gate^B
10 ABAB float^A · divine^B · boat^A · wine^B
11 ABAB thing^A · more^B · bring^A · door^B
12 ABAB fine^A · escape^B · vine^A · grape^B
13 ABAB light^A · again^B · might^A · brain^B
14 ABAB know^A · mine^B · glow^A · wine^B
15 ABAB think^A · said^B · drink^A · red^B
16 ABAB lo^A · shine^B · o'erflow^A · wine^B
17 AA annoy^A · joy^A
18 AABB borne^A · scorn^A · lip^B · grip^B
19 AABB--CC--DDEE high^A · by^A · forth^B · north^B · afar · war · snared^C · flared^C · ire · sire · burst^D · cursed^D · dun^E · sun^E
20 AA--BB shout^A · about^A · understood · mood · prayer^B · there^B
21 --AA--BB brute · foot · fear^A · gear^A · eyes · paradise · just^B · dust^B
22 AABBCC dame^A · blame^A · out^B · stout^B · go^C · foe^C
23 AA hoof^A · roof^A
24 AA--BBCCDDEE-- leap^A · sweep^A · swath · wrath · go^B · foe^B · cloud^C · loud^C · falls^D · calls^D · grim^E · him^E · afar · war
25 AABB sand^A · brand^A · flame^B · came^B
26 A-BBCCDDEEAAFF horse^A · worse · flesh^B · mesh^B · weeds^C · reeds^C · low^D · bow^D · kill^E · still^E · force^A · horse^A · eat^F · feet^F
27 AABBCCDDEEFF stall^A · hall^A · returned^B · burned^B · betoken^C · spoken^C · remorse^D · horse^D · locked^E · bemocked^E · plight^F · fight^F
28 AABB long^A · song^A · veins^B · chains^B
29 AABCCB wine^A · vine^A · thing^B · rattle^C · battle^C · spring^B
30 AAB--B whir^A · tecbir^A · flies^B · power · giaour · lies^B
31 AA-BB- force^A · horse^A · abroad · sweeping^B · reaping^B · god
32 AABCCB drop^A · top^A · below^B · deeper^C · steeper^C · go^B
33 --A--A azrael · hell · shoals^A · monker · nakir · souls^A
34 AABCCB drop^A · crop^A · red^B · under^C · thunder^C · dead^B
35 AABCCB bright^A · light^A · breaking^B · faces^C · embraces^C · waking^B
36 AA-BB- hears^A · ears^A · river · song^B · strong^B · ever
37 AABCCB wine^A · vine^A · gates^B · rattle^C · battle^C · waits^B
38 AABCCB lord^A · sword^A · must^B · drinker^C · thinker^C · dust^B
39 AABCCB dreams^A · gleams^A · white^B · misses^C · kisses^C · light^B
40 AABCCB long^A · strong^A · alarms^B · labour^C · sabre^C · arms^B
41 AA ghost^A · host^A
42 AABBCCDDEEFFGGEEFF--HH pursuit^A · mute^A · fight^B · might^B · battle^C · rattle^C · on^D · john^D · he^E · be^E · roar^F · more^F · fled^G · dead^G · flee^E · sea^E · more^F · door^F · err · aver · force^H · horse^H
43 --AA-- word · lord · strain^A · chain^A · worse · horse
44 AABBCC wine^A · thine^A · feet^B · meet^B · hoar^C · more^C
45 AABBCC aside^A · cried^A · decrees^B · these^B · store^C · more^C

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
"If I sit in the dust	6	······
For lauding good wine,	5	·/˘··
Ha, ha! it is just:	5	·····
So sits the vine!"	4	····
Abu Midjan sang as he sat in chains,	10	/˘········
For the blood of the grape ran the juice of his veins.	12	············
The Prophet had said, "O Faithful, drink not!"	10	·/˘···/˘··
Abu Midjan drank till his heart was hot;	10	/˘········
Yea, he sang a song in praise of wine,	9	·········
He called it good names--a joy divine,	10	··˘·····˘/
The giver of might, the opener of eyes,	10	·/˘···/˘··
Love's handmaid, the water of Paradise!	10	····/˘·/˘·
Therefore Saad his chief spake words of blame,	9	·········
And set him in irons--a fettered flame;	10	····/˘·/˘·
But he sings of the wine as he sits in his chains,	12	············
For the blood of the grape runs the juice of his veins:	12	············
"I will not think	4	····
That the Prophet said	5	··/˘·
Ye shall not drink	4	····
Of the flowing red!"	5	··/˘·
"'Tis a drenched brain	4	····
Whose after-sting	4	····
Cries out, Refrain:	4	··˘/
'Tis an evil thing!	5	··/˘·
"But I will dare,	4	····
With a goodly drought,	5	··/˘·
To drink, nor spare	4	····
Till my thirst be out.	5	·····
"I do not laugh	4	····
Like a Christian fool	5	··/˘·
But in silence quaff	5	··/˘·
The liquor cool	4	·/˘·
"At door of tent	4	····
'Neath evening star,	4	·/˘·
With daylight spent,	4	·/··
And Uriel afar!	5	···˘/
"Then, through the sky,	4	····
Lo, the emerald hills!	5	··/˘·
My faith swells high,	4	····
My bosom thrills:	4	·/˘·
"I see them hearken,	5	···/˘
The Houris that wait!	5	·····
Their dark eyes darken	5	···/˘
The diamond gate!	4	·/˘·
"I hear the float	4	····
Of their chant divine,	5	···˘/
And my heart like a boat	6	······
Sails thither on wine!	5	·/˘··
"Can an evil thing	5	··/˘·
Make beauty more?	4	·/˘·
Or a sinner bring	5	··/˘·
To the heavenly door?	6	··/˘˘·
"The sun-rain fine	4	····
Would sink and escape,	5	···˘/
But is drunk by the vine,	6	······
Is stored in the grape:	5	·····
"And the prisoned light	5	··/˘·
I free again:	4	··˘/
It flows in might	4	····
Through my shining brain	5	··/˘·
"I love and I know;	5	·····
The truth is mine;	4	····
I walk in the glow	5	·····
Of the sun-bred wine.	5	·····
"I will not think	4	····
That the Prophet said	5	··/˘·
Ye shall not drink	4	····
Of the flowing red!	5	··/˘·
"For his promises, lo,	6	··/˘˘·
Sevenfold they shine	5	/˘···
When the channels o'erflow	6	··/˘··
With the singing wine!	5	··/˘·
"But I care not, I!--'tis a small annoy	10	········˘/
To sit in chains for a heavenly joy!"	10	······/˘˘·
Away went the song on the light wind borne;	10	˘/········
His head sank down, and a ripple of scorn	10	······/˘··
Shook the hair that flowed from his curling lip	10	·······/˘·
As he eyed his brown limbs in the iron's grip.	10	········/·
Sudden his forehead he lifted high:	9	/˘·/˘·/˘·
A faint sound strayed like a moth-wing by!	10	····˘·····
Like beacons his eyes burst blazing forth:	9	·/˘···/˘·
A dust-cloud he spied in the distant north!	10	·······/˘·
A noise and a smoke on the plain afar?	10	········˘/
'Tis the cloud and the clang of the Moslem war!	11	········/˘·
He leapt aloft like a tiger snared;	10	··˘/··/˘·˘
The wine in his veins through his visage flared;	10	·······/˘·
He tore at his fetters in bootless ire,	10	····/˘·/˘·
He called the Prophet, he named his sire;	10	···/˘···/˘
From his lips, with wild shout, the Techir burst;	10	··········
He danced in his irons; the Giaours he cursed;	10	····/˘····
And his eyes they flamed like a beacon dun,	10	·······/˘·
Or like wine in the crystal twixt eye and sun.	11	·····/˘····
The lady of Saad heard him shout,	8	·/˘·····
Heard his fetters ring on the stones about	10	··/˘······
The heart of a warrior she understood,	10	····/˘··˘/
And the rage of the thwarted battle-mood:	10	·····/˘/˘·
Her name, with the cry of an angry prayer,	10	·······/˘·
He called but once, and the lady was there.	10	······/˘··
"The Giaour!" he panted, "the Godless brute!	9	···/˘·/˘·
And me like a camel tied foot to foot!	10	····/˘····
Let me go, and I swear by Allah's fear	10	·······/˘·
At sunset I don again this gear,	9	·/···˘/··
Or lie in a heaven of starry eyes,	10	····/˘·/˘·
Kissed by moon-maidens of Paradise!	10	·˘··/˘·/˘·
O lady, grant me the death of the just!	10	·/˘·······
Hark to the hurtle! see the dust!"	8	···/˘···
With ready fingers the noble dame	9	·/˘/˘·/˘·
Unlocked her husband's iron blame;	9	˘/˘·/˘/˘·
Brought his second horse, his Abdon, out,	9	··/˘·····
And his second hauberk, light and stout;	9	··/˘/˘···
Harnessed the warrior, and hight him go	10	/˘·/˘˘····
An angel of vengeance upon the foe.	10	·/˘·/˘····
With clank of steel and thud of hoof	8	········
Away he galloped; she climbed the roof.	10	˘/·/˘˘····
She sees the cloud and the flashes that leap	10	······/˘··
From the scythe-shaped swords inside it that sweep	10	·····˘/···
Down with back-stroke the disordered swath:	10	·····˘/˘˘·
Thither he speeds, a bolt of wrath!	8	/˘······
Straight as an arrow she sees him go,	9	···/˘····
Abu Midjan, the singer, upon the foe!	11	/˘···/˘····
Like an eagle he vanishes in the cloud,	10	··/˘·/˘···
And the thunder of battle bursts more loud,	10	··/˘·/˘···
Mingled of crashes and blows and falls,	10	/˘˘·/˘····
Of the whish that severs the throat that calls,	10	····/˘····
Of neighing and shouting and groaning grim:	10	····/˘·/˘·
Abu Midjan, she sees no more of him!	10	/˘········
Northward the battle drifts afar	8	/˘·/˘·˘/
On the flowing tide of the holy war.	10	··/˘···/˘·
Lonely across the desert sand,	8	/˘˘/·/˘·
From his wrist by its thong hung his clotted brand,	11	········/˘·
Red in the sunset's level flame	8	···/·/˘·
Back to his bonds Abu Midjan came.	9	····/˘···
"Lady, I swear your Saad's horse--	7	/˘·····
The Prophet himself might have rode a worse!	10	·/˘˘/·····
Like the knots of a serpent the play of his flesh	12	·····/˘·····
As he tore to the quarry in Allah's mesh!	11	·····/˘·/˘·
I forgot him, and mowed at the traitor weeds,	11	·˘/·····/˘·
Which fell before me like rushes and reeds,	10	······/˘··
Or like the tall poppies that sudden drop low	11	····/˘·/˘··
Their heads to an urchin's unstrung bow!	9	····/˘···
Fled the Giaour; the faithful flew after to kill;	11	····/˘·····
I turned to surrender: beneath me still	10	···˘/˘····
Was Abdon unjaded, fresh in force,	9	·········
Faithful and fearless--a heavenly horse!	10	/˘·/˘·/˘˘·
Give him water, lady, and barley to eat;	11	··/˘/˘·/˘··
Then haste thee and fetter the wine-bibber's feet."	11	····/˘·····
To the terrace he went, and she to the stall;	11	··/˘·······
She tended the horse like guest in hall,	9	·/˘······
Then to the warrior unhasting returned.	10	···/˘···˘/
The fire of the fight in his eyes yet burned,	10	·/········
But he sat in a silence that might betoken	12	·····/˘··˘/˘
One ashamed that his heart had spoken--	10	·˘/˘····/˘
Though where was the word to breed remorse?	9	·······˘/
He had lauded only his chief's brave horse!	10	··/˘/˘····
Not a word she spoke, but his fetters locked;	10	·······/˘·
He watched with a smile that himself bemocked;	10	······˘/··
She left him seated in caitiff-plight,	9	···/˘·/˘·
Like one that had feared and fled the fight.	10	·····˘····
But what singer ever sat lonely long	10	··/˘/˘·/˘·
Ere the hidden fountain burst in song!	9	··/˘/˘···
The battle wine foamed in the warrior's veins,	10	·/˘····/˘·
And he sang sword-tempest who sat in chains.	10	····/˘····
"Oh, the wine	3	···
Of the vine	3	···
Is a feeble thing!	5	··/˘·
In the rattle	4	··/˘
Of battle	3	·/˘
The true grapes spring!	4	····
"When on whir	3	···
Of Tecbir	3	···
Allah's wrath flies,	4	/˘··
And the power	4	··/˘
Of the Giaour	3	···
A blasted leaf lies!	5	·/˘··
"When on force	3	···
Of the horse	3	···
The arm flung abroad	5	···˘/
Is sweeping,	3	·/˘
And reaping	3	·/˘
The harvest of God!	5	·/˘··
"Ha! they drop	3	···
From the top	3	···
To the sear heap below!	6	······
Ha! deeper,	3	·/˘
Down steeper,	3	·/˘
The infidels go!	5	·/˘˘·
"Azrael	2	··
Sheer to hell	3	···
Shoots the foul shoals!	4	····
There Monker	3	···
And Nakir	3	···
Torture their souls!	4	/˘··
"But when drop	3	···
On their crop	3	···
The scimitars red,	5	·····
And under	3	···
War's thunder	3	·/˘
The faithful lie dead,	5	·/˘··
"Oh, bright	2	··
Is the light	3	···
On hero slow breaking!	6	·/˘·/˘
Rapturous faces	5	/˘˘/˘
Bent for embraces	5	··˘/˘
Watch for his waking!	5	···/˘
"And he hears	3	···
In his ears	3	···
The voice of Life's river,	6	····/˘
Like a song	3	···
Of the strong,	3	···
Jubilant ever!	5	/˘˘/˘
"Oh, the wine	3	···
Of the vine	3	···
May lead to the gates,	5	·····
But the rattle	4	··/˘
Of battle	3	·/˘
Wakes the angel who waits!	6	··/˘··
"To the lord	3	···
Of the sword	3	···
Open it must!	4	/˘··
The drinker,	3	·/˘
The thinker	3	·/˘
Sits in the dust!	4	····
"He dreams	2	··
Of the gleams	3	···
Of their garments of white;	6	··/˘··
He misses	3	·/˘
Their kisses,	3	·/˘
The maidens of light!	5	·/˘··
"They long	2	··
For the strong	3	···
Who has burst through alarms--	6	····˘/
Up, by the labour	5	···/·
Of stirrup and sabre,	6	·/˘·/˘
Up to their arms!	4	····
"Oh, the wine of the grape is a feeble ghost!	11	········/˘·
The wine of the fight is the joy of a host!"	11	···········
When Saad came home from the far pursuit,	9	·······˘/
An hour he sat, and an hour was mute.	10	·/····/˘··
Then he opened his mouth: "Ah, wife, the fight	10	··/˘······
Had been lost full sure, but an arm of might	10	··········
Sudden rose up on the crest of the battle,	11	/˘·······/˘
Flashed blue lightnings, thundered steel rattle,	10	·˘·/˘/˘·/˘
Took up the fighting, and drove it on--	9	···/˘····
Enoch sure, or the good Saint John!	8	/˘······
Wherever he leaped, like a lion he,	10	˘/˘····/˘·
The battle was thickest, or soon to be!	10	·/˘·/˘····
Wherever he sprang with his lion roar,	10	˘/˘····/˘·
In a minute the battle was there no more!	11	··˘/·/˘····
With a headlong fear, the sinners fled,	9	··/···/˘·
And we swept them down the steep of the dead:	10	··········
Before us, not from us, did they flee,	9	·········
They ceased in the depths of a new Red Sea!	10	··········
But him who saved us we saw no more;	10	····˘·····
He went as he came, by a secret door!	10	·······/˘·
And strangest of all--nor think I err	9	·/˘······
If a miracle I for truth aver--	10	··/˘˘···/˘
I was close to him thrice--the holy Force	10	·······/˘·
Wore my silver-ringed hauberk, rode Abdon my horse!"	12	··/˘·/˘·····
The lady rose up, withholding her word,	10	·/˘··˘/˘··
And led to the terrace her wondering lord,	10	····/˘·/˘·
Where, song-soothed, and weary with battle strain,	10	····/˘·/˘·
Abu Midjan sat counting the links of his chain:	12	/˘···/˘·····
"The battle was raging, he raging worse;	10	·/˘·/˘·/˘·
I freed him, harnessed him, gave him thy horse."	10	···/˘·····
"Abu Midjan! the singer of love and of wine!	12	/˘···/˘·····
The arm of the battle, it also was thine?	11	····/˘·/˘··
Rise up, shake the irons from off thy feet:	10	····/˘····
For the lord of the fight are fetters meet?	10	·······/˘·
If thou wilt, then drink till thou be hoar:	9	·········
Allah shall judge thee; I judge no more!"	9	/˘·······
Abu Midjan arose; he flung aside	10	/˘··˘/··˘/
The clanking fetters, and thus he cried:	9	·/˘/˘····
"If thou give me to God and his decrees,	10	········˘/
Nor purge my sin with the shame of these,	9	·········
Wrath against me I dare not store:	8	········
In the name of Allah, I drink no more!"	10	····/˘····

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 George MacDonald

A Microcosm in Terza Rima, and Other Poems