Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/35

Thou who dost clothe with a veil, be Thou my guard and protector ! "
And I asked of the Merciful strength and patience to accomplish.
Walking thus through the land of doubt, a land which is barren.
And I reached my hand to my wallet and found in it things needful,
And I took from it an onion and an egg-shell of the ostrich.
And made a fire on the ground with twigs of the wild willow,
And in a golden bowl I mixed and turned the ingredients.
Then whitened I my beard and limned my face in wrinkles.
Lowering my brows a little and darkening one of my eyelids.
And I crooked my back like a bow, a bow bent for the shooting.
And donned my clothes of disguise, that seeing none might know me.
Thus sought I the plains of Agheyl when the sun was near to the westing,
And hunger pressed me hard, for hunger is ungracious ,
And I cast my eyes around, and lo, like the stars for number,
Stood the tents in their ranks, as it were the Pleiads in heaven.
Each a cluster of stars ; and among them a pavih'on