Oh hasten my camel, begone, begone,
    Oh haste where your loved ones stay: 
    There weep and lament.  There my “spirit” is gone,
    Is gone to a night without day: 
    Oh Star of the Morning, thou Star of the day,
    And Star of the Evening, both hasten away,
    And bring me a balm for my wounded heart,
    For I from my child, my “spirit” must part.

Soon may the “day dawn, and the day star arise” in their dark hearts, and Jesus the “Bright and Morning Star” be their portion forever!

The next song is about the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  Thousands of Greeks, Armenians and Catholics go to Jerusalem every year to visit the “Holy Places,” and get a certificate of the pardon of all their sins.  The Greek Patriarch performs a lying imposture called the Holy Fire every year at Greek Easter, by lighting a candle with a match inside a dark room, and declaring that it is miraculously lighted by fire which comes forth from the tomb of Christ!  So the poor Greek woman sings to her child: 

    Oh take me on a pilgrimage,
    Jerusalem to see: 
    The Tomb of Christ and Holy fire,
    And Hill of Calvary: 
    And then I’ll to the Convent go,
    Ask pardon for my sin: 
    And say, my Lady, now forgive,
    And comfort me again.

The next is really beautiful, and is good enough for any mother to sing to her child.  It is a morning song: 

    Praise to Him who brings the light,
    And keeps the birds in darkest night. 
    God is merciful to all,
    Rise ye men and on Him call! 
    Allah praise in every lot,
    He keeps you and you know it not.

And this one too, about the little worms, is curious enough: 

    Praise to Him who feeds the worms,
    In the silent vale! 
    Provides their portion every day,
    Protects them in the dangerous way. 
    No doubt they praise Him too, and pray,
    In the silent vale!

When our good friend Yusef, whom we saw in Safita, asked the Nusairiyeh women to repeat to him their nursery rhymes, they denied that they had any.  They were afraid to recite them, lest he write them down and use them as a magic spell or charm against them.  When a child is born among them, no one is allowed to take a coal or spark of fire from the house for a week, lest the child be injured.  They always hang a little coin around the child’s neck to keep off eruptions and diseases from its body.

You must be weary by this time, after Handumeh’s wedding and the story telling and the Bedawin songs.  Let us retire to rest for the night, thankful for the precious Bible, and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  You are safe indeed in the hands of God, and need not fear the Ghoul nor the Bah’oo.  Good night.