Explore "Ismael" by Madison Cawein on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
/ Ishmael, the Sultan, in the Ramadan, / Amid his guards, bristling with yataghan, / And kris, -- his amins, viziers wisdom-gray, / Pachas and Marabouts, betook his way / Through Mekinez. For he had read the word / That in the Koran says, "Slay! praying the Lord! / Pray! slaying the victims! " so the Sultan went / Straight to the mosque, his mind on battle bent. / In white burnoose and sea-green caftan clad / He entered ere the last muezzin had / Summoned the faithful unto prayer and let / The "Allah Akbar" from the minaret / Invite to worship. 'Neath the lamps' lit gold / The many knelt and prayed.
/ Upon the old / Mosaics of the mosque -- whose high vault steamed / With aloes' incense -- lean ecstatics dreamed / Of Allah and his Prophet, and how great / Is God, and how unstable man's estate. / Conviction on him in this chanting low / Of Koran texts, the Caliph's passion so / Exalted soared -- lamped by religious awe -- / Himseemed he heard God's everlasting law / 'Gainst unbelievers; and himself confessed / The Faith's anointed sword; and, so impressed, / Arose and spoke. The arabesques above -- / The marvellous work of oriental love -- / Seemed, with new splendors of Heaven's blue and gold, / Applauding all. And, ere the gates were rolled, / Ogival, back to let the many forth, / War was declared on all the Christian Earth.