STAMBOUL
eep in a forgotten desertLeagues ’way from the crowded strandLegends of long dead kingdomsLost in desert sandLegends of mighty nationsMinarets reaching to the skyNow dust in the hands of AllahLike the kingdom of Stamboul* * *Stamboul! Mightier than BaghdadRuled o’er by a godlike shahFather of a dainty princessSweet girl they called NazahToast of the desert chieftainsCoveted by a thousand menGlory of the pride of AllahThe kingdom of Stamboul* * *’Twas nearing Nazah’s sixteenth birthdaySuitors from every landMerchants and dazzling princesCame seeking Nazah’s handInnocent, with eyes to heavenWondering at the courtyard’s blareNot knowing she was to marryFor the glory of Stamboul