Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-08-05

An Arabian Poet
at the Worlds Fair
-
EssA ALL MuLAWI, WANDER
ING BED0uIN MINSTREL.
Plays One Stringcd Fiddle and
Chants sentimental Poetry in
s.Jerusaiem'' on the EA-
position Grounds A
Baby Who is Be-
trOtiied.

ST. LOUIS, No, Aug. -0f the
types OF people represented Mt the
Worlds Fair there are IN more
interesting than the Bedonin Arabs,
the Indians Of the Orient, whose
home Is In the deserts lying between
Palmyra and Damascus. where they
dwell In tents and follow the grass
spots with their herds Of cattle and
horses.
Iii tie Fedonin encafa pfleit ~
Jerusalem 1T the exposition. TWEEN
III Of these Ismaeiite peopl. live as
did their father Abraham IN black
tents Of goat hair. drink from water
bottles Of goat skin, and eat cakes
haked III open ovens of stone.
Inherent from most of their tribe,
Itiia Bedouins III Jerusalem ara Chris
tians. not Moslems. They are
nruses, or followers of the teachings
Of The Greek church In their tent at
nieht they gather 70 sing The war
songs OF their fathers, the love songs
and the lamentations.
nssa Abu Mniawi ii il tyne ~ the
Hedolin singer, Iils Instrument is,
the ra1al, or one stringed fiddle ~.
horse hair such DIS David played. All
day long Essa Abu sits In the door
Of his tent in the Worlds Fair "Jcru.
galem.n and sings and plays on the
rabab, while nearby Is the hum Of
! the hand mill, where the women,
keeping time II the music. are Grind
ing the wheat.
I Essa Abu II not only q singer, but
a poet. Though he can neither read
nor write, HIS songs are full OF the
g pieturesqneness of the Orient. a
Q llragoman has translated one of them
from the Arabian; and while In the
Z translation II loses much 81 its orig.
inal beauty. II will glye some iden ~
I tho character or the song:
:. My lady, my beautiful one, For you
!, My heart Is burning hot fire.
cannot tell whether It Ii love
DR. hate the more. II Is so strange.
l All the people IN the tents are sing
\ ing:
But for me, my thoughts are heavy,
! bring the swift horse here unto me,
would ride across the desert,
Where my lady is and peace.
Or death and rest await me
2 II IL a love song. and Is sung Will
great feeling and with m accom-
2 paniment of hand clapping by othel
members OF the family as they ri
crosslegged around the camp fire
h Essa Abu IS typical OF q class o
IN Bedouins Sno are scattered all owe
u the deserts OF northern Syria. Us
ually he has no home, but wander
IN from tent 10 tent and sings for hi
~ keeping and 4 small fee.
" Among these Bedouin people Il !
III not m uncommon thing to find tn
IL women with their hands and face
is tattooed, The work of tattooing !
at generally done lust before the gil
ie becomes a bride, which among thes
people frequently "a very young, II
III tie Iedah Hatuon, q four year 81
II. Bednuin, who III living with her pa
Dis ents lii Jerusalem, was betrnthed .
the day Of her birth 10 an Arabia
hoy Of 20. a member Of the san
m tribe. but one whom she has new
,er seen. He Is nov following the bus
on ness OF his people trading hors,
"a md hcrding cattle IN The deserts
III northern Syria.
AL Not only has Jedah been practices
n u purchased and Is TO become u
10 servant OF tho lord and master ole'
ed by her parents, but her pref
ad. brown face is not ever to escape q
ne mark of the tattoo. The hands. ia
Xiii and arms Of her mother are iattooe
aIs and IL II stated by members " Y
! tribc that the women ~ this fa'
IA. lty clear back 10 Ismael have be
so marked. As soon as che Worl'
u. Fair Is over little Jedath, her pi
ents and all tAe Bedonius viii rotu
to Syria then Jedah will BE- tattoo'
~ and following Two weeks Of festis
IN wedding will take place,
tffp