large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_18
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
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. 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
 of all the kings of this world, with the exception of the Sultan, whom they admitted to equality. Seldom did an evening pass without a dance. As darkness fell, the Arabs would gather in a great circle around one of their comrades, who squatted on the ground with a bamboo flute; to a weird minor music they would begin swaying and 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. ENOUGH THEY CONSIDERED THE KAISER KING OF ALL KINGS OF THIS WORLD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SULTAN WHOM THEY ADMITTED TO EQUALITY SELDOM DID AN EVENING PASS WITHOUT A DANCE AS DARKNESS FELL THE ARABS WOULD GATHER IN A GREAT CIRCLE AROUND ONE OF THEIR COMRADES WHO SQUATTED ON THE GROUND WITH A BAMBOO FLUTE TO A WEIRD MINOR MUSIC 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
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