The Wager

From The Birmingham Age-Herald, December 26, 1912.
 

 El Shamar was a builder
     Of fame long years ago;
 Ar Hamel was a poet
     Of whom we little know.
 
 But once, a legend has it,
     Shamar stood and smiled
 Before a palace golden
     Which he had reared and styled.
 
 “Ar Hamel, I’m a builder,
     And you a singer—say,
 You write a song; I’ll wager
     Your song first fades away!”
 
 Ar Hamel wrote a love song;
     A fragile thing it seemed
 Beside the palace golden
     That in the sunshine gleamed.
 
 But when the lofty palace
     Had crumbled into dust,
 And on the wind was dancing,
     The plaything of each gust;
 
 When Shamar long had vanished,
     Forgotten was his name,
 When Hamel, happy hearted,
     Was known no more to fame;
 
 Still in that land the love song
     Was sung by lovers true;
 The love song was immortal,
     Its theme forever new!