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Home  »  An American Anthology, 1787–1900  »  1277 Mohammed and Seid

Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900.

By Harrison SmithMorris

1277 Mohammed and Seid

SWEPT by the hot wind, stark, untrackable,

The stony desert stretches to the sky.

Deep-printed shadows at the tent-door lie,

And camels slumber by the burning well.

One weeps within, wrinkled and dusk of face,

White-haired and lordly, o’er the new-brought dead:

Mohammed over Seid, who loved and read

Truth in the master when a fierce disgrace

Burned in his blood and none would heed the word.

“Behold the Prophet how he mourns a slave!”

So the slave’s daughter, and Mohammed heard:

“A friend has lost a friend. What Allah gave

His wisdom takes. He never yet has erred!”

Thus said, and made the slain a martial grave.