Dialect literature, Canadian; Fishing villages -- Fiction; Newfoundland and Labrador -- Fiction; Sea stories; Short stories
“Then,” answered Khalil Khayyat, triumphantly, “the half is mine!”
“Is yours, Khalil?”
“The very half, Salim, is the inheritance of my woe!”
“Khalil,” answered Salim Awad, rising, “attend!” He smiled, in the way
of youth upon the aged, and put an affectionate hand on the old man’s
shoulder. “My song,” said he, passionately, “may not be uttered; for in
all the world—since of these accidents God first made grief—there has
been no love-sorrow like my despair!”
Then, indeed, Khalil Khayyat knew that this same Salim Awad was a worthy
poet. And he was content; for he had known a young man to take of the
woe from his own heart and fashion a love-song too sublime for
revelation to the unfeeling world—which was surely poetry sufficient to
the day. He asked no more concerning the song, but took counsel with
Salim Awad upon his journey to Newfoundland, whither the young poet was
going, there in trade and travel to ease the sorrows of love. And he
told him many things about money and a pack, and how that, though
engaged in trade, a man might still journey with poetry; the one being
of place and time and necessity, and the other of the free and infinite
soul. Concerning the words spoken that night in farewell by these poets,
not so much as one word is known, though many men have greatly desired
to know, believing the moment to have been propitious for high speaking;
but not a word is to be written, not so much as a sigh to be described,
for the door was closed, and, as it strangely chanced, there was no ear
at the key-hole. But Nageeb Fiani, the greatest player in all the world,
entering upon the departure of Salim Awad, was addressed by Khalil
Khayyat.
“Nageeb,” said this great poet, “I have seen a minstrel go forth upon
his wandering.”
“Upon what journey does the singer go, Khalil?”
“To the north, Nageeb.”
“What song, Khalil, does the man sing by the way?”
“The song is in his heart,“ said Khalil Khayyat.
Abosamara, the merchant, being only rich, had intruded from his own
province. “Come!” cried he, in the way of the rich who are only rich.
“Come!” cried he, “how shall a man sing with his heart?”
Khalil Khayyat was indignant.
“Come!” Abosamara demanded, “how shall this folly be accomplished?”
“How shall the deaf understand these things?” answered Khalil Khayyat.
And this became a saying....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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