Abou Ben Adhem
by James Henry Leigh Hunt

English essayist, journalist and poet. His poem The Story of Rimini (1816) was influential on the second generation of Romantic poets, particularly Keats. Other well-known poems include Captain Sword and Captain Pen (1835) and the much-anthologised Abou Ben Adhem (1825) and Jenny Kissed Me (1825). An edition of Hunt's Poetical Works was published in 1838. Most of his prose appeared in the form of essays in his own journals. Imagination and Fancy (1844) is his most important longer work in prose, in which he compares the arts of painting and poetry.

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Abou Ben Adhem
by James Henry Leigh Hunt

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.

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Abou Ben Adhem by James Henry Leigh Hunt