Old Poetry Poetry • Poets • Essays • Forums •

The crescent

The sun's boat is broken and drowned in the Nile
But a piece is floating about on the water of the Nile

The twilight's pure blood drips into the sky's basin
Has the lancet of Nature drawn the sun's blood?

Has the sky stolen the ear ring of the evening's bride?
Or has the fragile cord in the Nile's waters strolling?

Your caravan is afoot without help of bell's call
The human ear cannot hear your foot-steps' sound

You show the spectacle of rise and fall to the eyes
Where is your home? To which country are you going?

O star-like planet take me with yourself
The prick of Longing's thorn keeps me restless

I am seeking light, I am weary in this habitation
I am the restless child in the existence's school…

Leave a guest comment (subject to review)

    : Comment:

    Name: (required)
    Email: (required, hidden from spam)

Comments

  • Pari Ali
    February 17, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Beautiful metaphors used in this the sun setting in the nile is referred to as a sinking boat, how often have we admired speechlessly the beauty of the sun or moon reflected in the waters, here the sun has almost gone down the last of it slipping off seems to be a piece floating on the river. the red dusk, (and somehow african dusks appear redder than others) is compared to blood dripping. What really stuns me is the mention of the silence as the sun moves
    Your caravan is afoot without help of bell's call
    The human ear cannot hear your foot-steps' sound
    it stuns me because recently I have written a poem on this very subject and it amazes me how human thought is all linked by the same thread. To think that Iqbal would think that on the banks of the nile so many years back and the same thought occur to me and I am sure countless others is truly one to ponder upon. like for a moment our spirits touched.

  • Seraph1885
    February 17, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    This poem is the expression of the spontaneous feelings of a lover of God's creation at the sight of the crescent on the waters of the River Nile. It shows how an 'arif sees and enjoys the beauty of God's creation and derives inspiration from it. The climax of these feelings is reached in the last verse.

    Blood is a beautiful metaphor for the red colors of the dusk.
    The 10th line alludes to the fact that the creation of God is for the equitable use of the entire humanity and not for a particular country. This is what is included in the concept of the super-national Islamic State.



    Edited on Feb 17, 9:12 p.m. because ''.