translated from the Arabic by Ameen Rihani
Or in the house of lust. The priestly name
And priestly turban once were those of Shame—
And Shame is preaching in the pulpit now—
If pulpits tumble down, I’m not to blame.
The Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala (James T. White & Co., 1920) by Abū al-‘Alā’ al-Ma‘arrī. Translated from the Arabic by Ameen Rihani. Copyright © 1920 by Ameen Rihani. This poem is in the public domain.