Jealousy
The violets their soft, dark lashes part,
While robins serenade them far and near ;
But the anemone, with ebon heart
And blood-shot eyes, pretends she does not
hear.
The violets invite the nightingale
Whose carols fall in dew upon their bed ;
But the hydrangea, as saffron pale,
Holds high above the wall her nodding head.
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.