Ballad 9 Poem by Ahmad Shiddiqi

the Zircon glistens, Melaleuca’s shade thickets pall
her comfort creeps where moon and sun fall
slowly she dreamt the merry waters gush
weary wandered from the Western stars flush

through shadowy Visby to The Lapponian Area
clamor of rooks from Sense and Idea
a figure as shapeless as an ancient urn
had wrap to match her hue, the Luck would turn

on desolate Bien Hoa or dreariness of Mumbai
it must be too risky to her to swim and to fly
since Life is black with mistakes, and solemn with tears
oh devour these nightmares with audacities!

Sandro Botticelli’s turret was with ploughshare crossed
and here the maize her silken Love tossed
look cool, firm pulses of her temperate tide
from north to south the harvest is her fate