"THE WAILHere we meet, we three, at length, Amrah, Osman, Perizad: Shorn of all our grace and strength, Poor, and old, and very sad. We have lived, but live no more; Life has lost its gloss for us, Since the days we spent of yore Boating down the Bosphorus! La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! Old time brought home no loss for us; We felt full of health and heart Upon the foamy Bosphorus!La’ laha, il Allah! Days indeed! A shepherd’s tent Served us then for house and fold; All to whom we gave or lent, Paid us back a thousandfold. Troublous years, by myriads wail’d, Rarely had a cross for us, Never, when we gaily sail’d Singing down the Bosphorus. La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! There never came a cross for us, While we daily, gaily sail’d Adown the meadowy Bosphorus.La’ laha, il Allah! Blithe as birds we flew along, Laugh’d and quaff’d and stared about; Wine and roses, mirth and song, Were what most we cared about. Fame we left for quacks to seek, Gold was dust and dross for us, While we lived from week to week Boating down the Bosphorus. La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! And gold was dust and dross for us, While we lived from week to week Boating down the Bosphorus.La’ laha, il Allah! Friends we were, and would have shared Purses, had we twenty full. If we spent, or if we spared, Still our funds were plentiful. Save the hours we pass’d apart, Time brought home no loss for us; We felt full of hope and heart While we clove the Bosphorus. La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! For life has lost its gloss for us Since the days we spent of yore Upon the pleasant Bosphorus!La’ laha, il Allah! Ah! for youth’s delirious hours, Man pays well in after-days, When quenched hopes and palsied powers Mock his love-and-laughter days. Thorns and thistles on our path Took the place of moss for us, Till false fortune’s tempest-wrath Drove us from the Bosphorus. La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! When thorns took place of moss for us, Gone was all! Our hearts were graves Deep, deeper than the Bosphorus.La’ laha, il Allah! Gone is all! In one abyss Lie health, youth, and merriment! All we’ve learnt amounts to this: Life’s a sad experiment! What it is we trebly feel Pondering what it was for us, When our shallop’s bounding keel Clove the joyous Bosphorus. La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! We wail for what life was for us, When our shallop’s bounding keel Clove the joyous Bosphorus!THE WARNINGLa’ laha, il Allah! Pleasure tempts, yet man has none Save himself t’ accuse, if her Temptings prove, when all is done, Lures hung out by Lucifer. Guard your fire in youth, O friends! Manhood’s is but phosphorus, And bad luck attends and ends Boatings down the Bosphorus! La’ laha, il Allah! The Bosphorus, the Bosphorus! Youth’s fire soon wanes to phosphorus, And slight luck or grace attends Your boaters down the Bosphorus!"