(原版)澳大利亚语文第四册 LESSON 6
LESSON 6 ABOU BEN ADHEM AND THE ANGEL
ABOU BEN ADHEM AND THE ANGEL
LEIGH HUNT (1784-1859), essayist and poet; borh at Middlesex. Chief works: Bacchus and Ariadne, Stories from the Italian Poets, The Feast of the Poets , and his auto biography.
ABOU BEN ADHEM (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace
And saw within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold.
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence [1] in the room he said,
“What writest thou?”—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord [2] ,
Answered, “The names of those who love the Lord.”
“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,”
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, “I pray thee then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.”
The angel wrote and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light [3] ,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest.
—LEIGH HUNT
* * *
[1] Presence: Angelic visitor.
[2] sweet accord: Loving assent.
[3] wakening light: Brightness that aroused Abou Ben Adhem.
