A Serenade
I
The moon hath said her sad good-bye,
My sleeping queen;
And all the stars are wondering why
Thou art unseen.
Behold! abashed, they take to flight,
As through the casement breaks thy light.
Arise, my dawn, arise!
Arise, my queen serene!
II
The field of heaven is all thine own,
my peerless star,
Just as my heart is thine alone,
Be near or far.
So let thy face adorn the night.
And flood it with thy dazzling light.
Arise, my queen, arise!
Arise, to my guitar!
III
The vaults above all vacant seem,
My sweetest flower;
And for thy scent, the cherubim
Long at this hour.
A moment from thy sweet dream part.
Though in that dream be wove my heart.
Arise, my queen, arise!
Let fall thy perfume shower.
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.