es snakes come down from the ceilings of these earth-roofed
houses, and terrify the people. At other times government horsemen come
and drag them off to prison, as they did in Safita. These things are
referred to in this next song which Nideh is singing:

If she love you not, my boy,
May the Lord her life destroy!
Seven mules tread her down,
Drag her body through the town!
Snakes that from the ceiling hang,
Sting her dead with poison fang!
Soldiers from Damascus city,
Drag her off and shew no pity!
Nor release her for a day,
Though a thousand pounds she pay!

That is about enough of imprecations, and it will be pleasanter to
listen to Katrina, for she will sing us some of the sweetest of the
Syrian Nursery Songs.

Sleep, my moon, my baby sleep!
The Pleiades bright their watches keep.
The Libra shines so fair and clear,
The stars are shining, hush my dear!

There is not much music in the tunes they sing to these words. The airs
generally are plaintive and monotonous, and have a sad and weary sound.

Here is another:

My boy, my moon, I bid you good morrow!
Who wishes you peace shall know no sorrow!
Whom you salute, his earth is like heaven,
His care relieved, his sin forgiven!

She says that last line is extravagant, and I think as much. The next
one is a Moslem lullaby.

O Lord of the heavens, Knowing and Wise,
Preserve my Ali, the light of my eyes!
Lord of high heaven, Compassionate!
Keep my dear boy in every state!

This one is used by the women of all the sects, but in all of the songs
the name is changed to suit the name of the baby to whom the mother is
singing,

Ali, your eyes are sleeping,
But God's eyes never sleep:
Their hours of lonely weeping
None can forever keep.
How sweet is the night of health,
When Ali sleeps in peace!
Oh may such nights continue,
Nor ever, ever cease!

Among all the scores of nursery songs, I have heard only a very few
addressed to _girls_, but some of these are beautiful. Hear Katrina sing
this one:

Lulu dear the house is bright,
With your forehead's sunny light;
Men your father honor now
When they see your lovely brow.
If father comes home sad and weary,
Sight of you will make him cheery.

The "fuller's soap" mentioned in Malachi 3:2, is the plant called in
Arabic "Ashnan or Shenan," and the Arabs sometimes use