Chorus of all the women, singing softly:
- "His children and his servants blessed him!
- His home was the shelter of happiness!
- Peace be upon him!"
First singers—loudly and with animation
- "We saw him giving food to the hungry,
- And clothing to the naked."
Second singers—softly and plaintive:
- "Alas I no more shall we see him
- Give food to the hungry,
- And garments to the naked!"
First singers:
- "We saw him give help and succor to the aged
- And good counsel to the young."
Second singers:
- "Alas! no more shall we see him
- Give help and succor to the aged,
- And good counsel to the young."
Chorus of all the women, singing softly
- "He suffered not the stranger to sleep in the streets:
- He opened his door to the wayfarer,
- Peace be upon him!"
After this, they started to their feet, and shrieked as loudly as they could, making a rattling noise in their throats for three or four minutes. The widow kneeled, swaying her body backward and forward, and feebly joined in the wild cry.
Some of the women reseated themselves on the floor quite exhausted, some retired, and a number of guests from 'Akka came in and took the vacant places. A minstrel woman began slowly beating a tambourine, and all the company clapped their hands in measure with it, singing, "Alas for him! alas for him! He was brave, he was good, alas for him!" Then three women rose, with naked swords in their hands, and stood at two or three yards' distance from each other. They began dancing with slow and graceful movements, with their swords at first held low and their heads drooping. Each dancer kept within a circle of
