Out of Nazareth

"He shall sleep unscathed of thieves     Who loves Allah and believes."     Thus heard one who shared the tent,     In the far-off Orient,     Of the Bedouin ben Ahrzz -     Nobler never loved the stars     Through the palm-leaves nigh the dim     Dawn his courser neighed to him!     He said: "Let the sands be swarmed     With such thieves as I, and thou     Shalt at morning rise unharmed,     Light as eyelash to the brow     Of thy camel amber-eyed,     Ever munching either side,     Striding still, with nestled knees,     Through the midnight's oases."     "Who can rob thee an thou hast     More than this that thou hast cast     At my feet - this dust of gold?     Simply this and that, all told!     Hast thou not a treasure of     Such a thing as men call love?"     "Can the dusky band I lead     Rob thee of thy daily need     Of a whiter soul, or steal     What thy lordly prayers reveal?     Who could be enriched of thee     By such hoard of poverty     As thy niggard hand pretends     To dole me - thy worst of friends?     Therefore shouldst thou pause to bless     One indeed who blesses thee:     Robbing thee, I dispossess     But myself. Pray thou for me!"     He shall sleep unscathed of thieves     Who loves Allah and believes.