The Unexpected Encounter (1776) - Page 9

THE CALENDER.

AIR.

He rings his bell,

Drelin, din, din, drelin, din, din,

Accompanies his little song,

Drelin, din, drelin, din, din.

Add to it some illah! illah! ah!

And everything is said with that.

All our science,

To live in abundance,

Is to ring the drelin, din, din.

You are ready to begin the career. Here, here is our song in writing. Go through the city: the louder you shout, the better the tire lire a term for money-collecting or the tin box used by mendicants will fare.

OSMIN.

Is it like this? illah! illah! ah!

THE CALENDER.

Wonderful! You will present yourself this evening at our Caravanserai, which you see at the end of this street on the left hand. I am the concierge there, and I receive all the travelers who are going to Mecca and who pass through Cairo.

OSMIN.

I will not fail to do so. But wait: here comes my master. I want you to see me perform my trial of calendrie the art of being a Calender/dervish upon him.

SCENE V.

ALI, OSMIN, THE CALENDER.

ALI, without recognizing Osmin.

I do not see Osmin here!

OSMIN, going toward Ali, rings his bell

while shouting:

Illah! illah! (softly to the Calender) Prompt me the song.

THE CALENDER, prompting him.

Castagno, castagna,