large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_55
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
I had had experience with corruptible Turkish officers; and one day, when barrack conditions became unendurable, I went to the officer commanding our division  an old Arab from Latakieh who had been called from retirement at the time of the mobilization. I HAD HAD EXPERIENCE WITH CORRUPTIBLE TURKISH OFFICERS AND ONE DAY WHEN BARRACK CONDITIONS BECAME UNENDURABLE I WENT TO THE THE OFFICER COMMANDING OUR DIVISION AN OLD ARAB FROM LATAKI WHO HAD BEEN CALLED FROM RETIREMENT AT THE TIME OF MOBILIZATION
 moving about while some self-chosen poet among them would sing impromptu verses to the flute _obbligato_. As a rule the themes were homely. "To-morrow we shall eat rice and meat," the singer would wail. "_Yaha lili-amali"_ (my endeavor be granted), came the full-throated response of all the others. The chorus was tremendously effective. Sometimes the singer would indulge in pointed personalities, with answering roars of laughter. These dances lasted for hours, and as they progressed the men gradually worked themselves up into a frenzy. I never failed to wonder at these people, who, without the aid of alcohol, could reproduce the various stages of intoxication. As I lay by and watched the moon riding serenely above these frantic men and their twisting black shadows, I reflected that they were just in the condition when one word from a holy man would suffice to send them off to wholesale murder and rapine. It was my good fortune soon to be released from the noise and dirt of the mosque. C THEY WOULD BEGIN SWAYING AND MOVING ABOUT WHILE SOME SELF CHOSEN POET AMONG THEM WOULD SING IMPROMPTU VERSES TO THE FLUTE OBLIGATO AS A RULE THE THEMES WERE HOMELY TO MORROW WE SHALL EAT RICE AND MEAT THE SINGER WOULD WAIL YAHA LILI A MALI MY END WILL BE GRANTED CAME THE FULL THROATED RESPONSE OF ALL THE OTHERS THE CHORUS WAS TREMENDOUSLY EFFECTIVE SOMETIMES A SINGER WOULD INDULGE IN POINTED PERSONALITIES WITH ANSWERING ROARS OF LAUGHTER THESE DANCES LASTED FOR HOURS AND AS THEY PROGRESSED THE MEN GRADUALLY WORKED THEMSELVES UP INTO A FRENZY I NEVER FAILED TO WONDER AT THESE PEOPLE WHO WITHOUT THE AID OF ALCOHOL COULD REPRODUCE THE VARIOUS STAGES OF INTOXICATION AS I LAY BY AND WATCHED THE MOON RIDING SERENELY ABOVE THESE FRANTIC MEN AND THEIR TWISTING BLACK SHADOWS I REFLECTED THAT THEY WERE JUST IN THE CONDITION WHEN ONE WORD FROM A HOLY MAN WOULD SUFFICE TO SEND THEM OFF TO WHOLESALE MURDER AND RAPINE IT WAS MY GOOD FORTUNE SOON TO BE RELEASED FROM THE NOISE AND DIRT OF THE MOSQUE
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