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Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:—
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered "The names of those who love the Lord."
"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still, and said "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.
Anonymous Submission
James Henry Leigh Hunt
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Monday, January 13, 2003 |
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Read poems about / on: angel, peace, dream, night, light, god, love
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Comments about this poem (Abou Ben Adhem
by
James Henry Leigh Hunt
) |
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Gail Cavanaugh (12/19/2011 8:09:00 AM)
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I had to memorize and recite this poem before my 4th grade class. I loved it! I remember the joy my male teacher had in reciting this poem to us. Just reading it brings tear to my eyes.
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Kanti Khanna (6/15/2010 6:30:00 AM)
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I learnt this poem 50 years ago in my school in Calcutta and it came back to me recently. I've always loved the sentiments behind it. What amaze me are the parallels in my life today. I have extreme love for God and would love to think that I had a special place in His heart. As it happens I belong to a spiritual university based on Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India. In Hindi the word Ben means sister and of course Adam we all know.
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Georgina Sanders (5/30/2010 2:13:00 AM)
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We had to learn this poem in our middle school. It has always been one of my favourite poems. Yesterday, I was talking about this poem with a friend and I realised had forgotten the lines. I had to look it up and am so glad I found it today. Thank you poemhunter! You've made my day. This poem brings back fond memories of school and my favourite teachers.
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Sheril Smith (5/25/2010 4:11:00 PM)
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I learned this poem in the 4th grade by my all-time favorite teacher, Miss Sue Taylor. She enhanced out learning by teaching us poetry and songs. I don't know what happened to her, but she left our school the following year. I think I learned more from her than any other teacher in my entire academic career. I, like other posters here, still have this poem committed to memory. If anyone knows how to get in contact with Ms. Taylor, please let me know. I'm on Facebook. By the way, I just came across this poem today on the Washington Post's online crossword puzzle. There's one answer I could surely answer!
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Joe Cornes (3/12/2010 2:42:00 PM)
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I was once again reminded of my early teens whilst reading Abou Ben Adhem, I was taken back to a sunny August in the early 1980’s, sitting in my class gazing dreamily out of the window, the sun on my face and listening to the note filled voice Mr Jack Tarr my eccentric English teacher. He would read it aloud as though he were an actor and sometimes, believe it or not! standing on his head up on his desk…True!
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Sameer Gardner (2/3/2010 1:33:00 AM)
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'Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, ' volumes can be written on this one line this is what poetry is all about
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Jozef Van Wyck (11/25/2009 4:09:00 PM)
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When I was a boy I used to listen to this poem recited by my Grandfather
Raymond Henry Van Wyck complete with beautiful strains of brahms
symphony recorded on a reel to reel. I memorized it yet it just is not the
same without the background symphony playing and a toastmasters
diction really putting you in a deep dream of sleep!
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Denvil Martin (11/18/2009 10:40:00 AM)
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This is just awsome! Thank you Google and Poet Hunter! I learnt this poem in Jamaica when I was 14 years old. I am now 51. I have been trying for many years to find it because I had forgotten three of the lines. I was overjoyed when I found it.
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Flora O'barr (11/19/2008 3:09:00 PM)
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My grandmother loved poetry and she memorized those that particularly pleased her. She was 104 when she passed away in 1983. My sister and I vividly remember her repeating this poem. We learned Abou Ben Adhem in Junior high school and since it was already a favorite of hours, remembered most of the words-but not all. My sister is 82 and I have just celebrated my 75 birthday. Both of us have grandchildren, who have never been blessed with Leigh Hunt's poetry. Til Now. Thanks for the memory.
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