The Caravansary

by Richard Henry Stoddard

I keep a caravansary,
And, be it night or day,
I entertain such travelers
As chance to come my way!

Hafiz, maybe, or Sadi,
Who singing songs divine,
Discovered heaven in taverns,
And holiness in wine !

Or Antar and his Arabs,
From burning sands afar,
So faint in love's sweet trances,
So resolute in war !

The Brahmin from the Ganges,
The Tartar, Turcoman,
Savage hordes, with spears and swords,
Who rode with Genghis Khan!

Or mummies from old Egypt,
With priestly, kingly tread,
Who, in their cerecloths, mutter
The ritual of the dead !

Who keeps a caravansary
Knows neither friend nor foe;
His doors stand wide on every side
For all to come and go.

The Koran, or the Bible,
Or Veda, which is best?
The wise host asks no questions,
But entertains his guest!