Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AN ORIENTAL BALLAD, by BERTON BRALEY Poet's Biography First Line: Oh, fair is my yashmak, as sweet as a mosque Last Line: That I can exactly recall! Subject(s): Asia; Praise; Far East; East Asia; Orient | ||||||||
Oh, fair is my Yashmak, as sweet as a mosque That's worn by the dreamy vizier, She dances as light as a dainty kiosk, Her voice is more dulcet to hear Than any zenana or dervish or kohl That sings in the narghileh tree, While the bulbuls swim round in the odalisque bowl And the alcoran serves her with tea. She nibbles sweet fez as she plays her kureel With a jeweled bismillah of gold, She smokes her seraglio then for a spell On a kibouk of curious mold. Yes, fair is my Yashmak and lovely and gentle, But, though I've scarce praised her at all, I've used up, I find, all the words Oriental That I can exactly recall! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE DIATRIBE OF THE KITE; FOR KHENPO KARTHAR RINPOCHE by NORMAN DUBIE GUNS AS KEYS: AND THE GREAT GATE SWINGS by AMY LOWELL ASIAN BIRDS by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES MAHMOUD by JAMES HENRY LEIGH HUNT THE NOBLEMAN AND THE PENSIONER by GOTTLIEB KONRAD PFEFFEL THE LEPER (2) by NATHANIEL PARKER WILLIS |
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