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