Abou Ben Adhem
the Anglicized name of Ibrahim ibn Adham, a well-known early Sufi mystic saint, renowned for his charity and holiness
tribe
a group of people bound by national or familial ties; in this instance, it refers to a person's family
lily
a common, beautiful type of flower whose blooming is often an object of poetic comparison
exceeding
quite large, possessed to a remarkable degree
writest
second-person present archaic form of "write" (e.g. "what writest thou?" instead of "what do you write?")
accord
harmonic agreement
nay
an archaic form of "no"
cheerly
in a cheerful manner; happily
wakening
(as of light) so bright as to awaken one from slumber
blest
archaic form of "blessed"
lo!
(archaic exclamation) a shortened form of "look!"
bold
brave, courageous, heedless
angel
a celestial being, usually tied to Christian typology
peace
a feeling of inner calm, completeness, and serenity; particularly important in the religious context of the poem's subject
vanished
disappeared, disapparated, become invisible
Pious
Deeply religious; demonstrating respect for and loyalty to a higher power. Abou Ben Adhem's moral and spiritual behavior earns him the designation of devout.
