Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE ORANGES, by ABU DHARR First Line: The serried hosts stood man to man Last Line: The watchers smiled in glad surprise. Alternate Author Name(s): Abu Dharr Al-khushani, Mus`ab Ibn Muhammad | ||||||||
The serried hosts stood man to man, Determined either side to win, Here Turk, there Ethiopian, Their battle-field an orange-skin! And when the armies 'gan to fight I never saw a sight so sweet; The duskies put the blonds to flight, For they had never known defeat. But then the pale-faced Turks again Took heart, and rallied to the fray; They battled back with might and main, They fought like heroes all the day. It is the common rule of war To fill with tears the watchers' eyes; But this proved the exception, for The watchers smiled in glad surprise. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SMALL BEGINNINGS by CHARLES MACKAY ON THE DANGER OF WAR by GEORGE MEREDITH TO MY EXCELLENT LUCASIA, ON OUR FRIENDSHIP. 17TH JULY 1651 by KATHERINE PHILIPS REJECTED ADDRESSES: THE BABY'S DEBUT, BY W. W. by JAMES SMITH (1775-1839) THE ITALICS ARE RICHARD GIFFORD'S by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS PSALM 8, SELECTION by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE A VIGNETTE by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN |
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