In the afternoon there are several hours of heat, the pace of the camels slackens, and the whole caravan becomes quiet and somnolent. As evening comes on and it grows cool again, the camels pick up their speed and go into a final spurt before the time for making camp. The men sing to the camels then to stimulate their efforts, and the beasts respond cheerfully to the encouragement.
The songs are simple and poetic, full of the atmosphere of the desert life. One of them represents a Bedouin waiting at an oasis for the expected caravan.
He sings to the approaching camels:
“Gone is the night;
Come are the Marazan? to the morning sky.
You are here—
And vanished are all our fears.”
The singer speaks of his camels:
“In companies the sand-dunes
Marched to meet them,