The Fruits Of Death
I
Said golden leaves upon the ground
To new born leaves upon the tree :
“Soon homeward autumn winds will blow
And carry us away to sea,
Just as it shook the night before
The branches all and set us free ;
No longer do we envy bird or dew,
Nor do we want again to be like you.”
II
The sweet and tender leaves replied :
“Still we rejoice that we are here ;
We rise from the eternal source
Of life to crown the dying year ;
The wind that freed you we can see.
The sea you love we always hear.
You are the booty of the storm and we,
We are the fruits of Death upon Life’s tree.”
From Myrtle and Myrrh (The Gorham Press, 1905) by Ameen Rihani. This poem is in the public domain.
Ameen Rihani
Ameen Fares Rihani, who is regarded as a founder of Arab American literature and a major figure in the Mahjar movement, was born in Freike, Lebanon, then part of the Ottoman Empire, on November 24, 1876. Rihani was one of six children and the eldest son born to a Lebanese Christian (Maronite) silk manufacturer. Rihani moved to New York City with one of his brothers in 1888 and began to learn English. Three years later, Rihani became an American citizen.