Myrtle and Myrrh

by Ameen Rihani

Myrtle and Myrrh

AMEEN RIHANI

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Myrtle and Myrrh

by

Ameen Rihani

Translator of
"The Quatrains of Abu'l-Ala"

Boston: Richard G. Badger
The Gorham Press 1905

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Copyright 1905 by Ameen Rihani
All rights reserved

Printed at
The Gorham Press,
Boston, U. S. A.

To my sisters
SAADA AND ADELE

CONTENTS

Salaam ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5

Ever To Be ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

9

Upon the Peak of Sanneen ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10

The Philistine ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

12

My Bornoose ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

13

A Spring Dirge ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

14

Fardi wa Nafli ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

15

Adele ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

17

Nectar and Blood ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

18

Resurrection ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

20

Disarmed Desire ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

21

A Better Woe ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

22

The First and Last ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

23

In the Meadow ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

24

O, Sweet Sometime ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

25

A Bed of Flame ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

26

The Sister of Death ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

26

Retribution ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

27

Let Thine Eyes Whisper ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

27

Lilatu Laili ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

28

Midnight Mood ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

29

Thy Smile ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

31

Unadorned ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

32

Dissolution ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

32

A Serenade ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

33

The Brass Bed ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

34

Three Golden Threads ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

35

Independent Blossoms ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

36

The God of my Goddess ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

36

A Peasant's Song ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

37

Her First Sorrow ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

39

A Nocturn ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

40

Saada ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

41

Stolen Salvias ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

42

Jealousy ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

43

Beneath the Salvias ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

43

Gone with the Swallows ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

44

To the Sonnet ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

45

The Tomb and the Rose ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

46

Rest ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

46

The Fruits of Death ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

48

The "Flatiron" and the Ruins of Palmyra ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

48

It was All for Him ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

49

Repentance ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

50

O, Give me Strength to Take ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

51

Written After Reading King Lear ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

52

Near the Cascades ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

53

Onward Keep ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

55

Allah wa Ana ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

56

In Memory of E. M. El-K ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

57

To Abu'l-Ala ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

59

Myrtle and Myrrh