Herman Melville

“ The bones of Theseus are brought back:
A comet shall resume its path
Though three millenniums go. But faith? ⁠115
Ah, Nehemiah--and, Derwent, thou!
'Twas dust to dust: what is it now
And here? Is life indeed a dream? ”

“ The Islam fast; yet took it so
As Derwent roguish prompted, though
It was no Ramadan at all;
'Twas far ahead, a movable fast ⁠65
Of lunar month, which to forecast
Needs reckoning.
Ponderous pause
The Anak made: "Mahone has laws,
And Allah's great--of course:--forefend! ⁠70
Ho, rouse a stave, and so an end:
"The Bey, the Emir, and Mamalook lords
Charged down on the field in a grove of swords:
Hurrah! hurrah and hurrah
For the grove of swords in the wind of war! ⁠75
"And the Bey to the Emir exclaimed, Who knows? ”