Night Near Village Poem by Emdad Shah Emdad

by Emdad Shah

Silent night of the village land Draped in the velvet deep
Over the bamboo canopy
The moon wakes from its sleep

The village sun begins to doze As night spills out its grace Across the pond and meadow fields
Shadows drift in the space

Darkness descends upon the lane
The hamlet hushed and still From the hollow of the open sky Moonlight begins to spill

The bamboo thickets on the edge
Sway in the breeze to say Nowhere else does such a charm In quiet beauty stay

The crickets hum a mystic tune Within the wooded glade
In the corner of a cottage wall
The lamp begins to fade

The lotus river drifts along
With slow and lazy feet
Across its breast the silver light And ripples softly meet

From somewhere far a shepherd pipes
A melody of old It scatters peace across the land
More precious far than gold

The crickets sing a constant song
Beside the forest wall
The fireflies light their lanterns dim
Where shadowed branches fall

Slowly at the village edge
The lights all flicker out
The mother earth pulls close her cloak
Removing every doubt

Inside the shed the quiet cow Is lost in gentle sleep
While silent hours of the night Their lonely vigil keep

The rustle of the fallen leaf
Stirs the pond so deep
Beneath a blanket made of moss The water lilies sleep

The jackfruit trees and tamals dream
In rest the village lies
The mother earth has spread her lap
Beneath the velvet skies

Enveloped in a misty haze
The village rests in peace
The mango leaves like tiny hands
Watch all the clamor cease

The bittern calls out from the bank
Beside the water side
The weary farmer sleeps in joy With golden fields as guide

The shimul boughs and leaves of green
Are still as stone tonight
The village in its slumber wears A robe of silver light

From somewhere comes a fragrant breath
Along the dusty track
A dream world woven in the dark With no desire to look back

Through fissures in the bamboo wall
The moonlight starts to creep The tired eyes of laborers
In honeyed visions sleep

With scent of morning glories blown
Upon the southern gale Give up your eyes to mother earth
Behind the misty veil

The shaded grove is swaying soft
Where palm and tamal lean
The village girl is lost in rest Beneath the leafy screen

With clouds as dark as kohl-rimmed eyes
The night begins to spread
The village bride has fallen deep Upon her quiet bed

The bride puts out the lamp of clay
With weary closing eyes
Upon the crest of hijal trees
The night bird softly cries

The breeze has stirred the lotus pond
With fingers cool and light
The weary boatman sleeps at last
His boat kept out of sight

Upon the breast of mother earth The tiller finds his rest
The shepherd boy dreams of his flute With silver songs possessed

The shadows tremble in the pool Where lilies drift and dream
The fairy of the silent night Kisses the moonlit stream

The silver stars upon the pond Are scattered in the deep
The village bride in longing calls Before she sinks to sleep

Beside the hijal forest dark
The fireflies start to glow
The insects lose their way in mist
Where tangled shadows grow

The sudden wind begins to stir The leaves within the wood
The bakul flowers fall to rest Where once the blossoms stood

Field after field of empty space Beside the river shore
The hijal branch and gardenia bloom
Are swaying evermore

An owl is calling from the dark With long and hooting cry
The village bride forgets her toil Beneath the starlit sky

The paddy leaves are swaying light
Beneath the breeze's hand
The dew falls from the canopy Across the sleeping land

The heads of grain are bowing low
With scent upon the breeze
The lamp is out in farmer homes In calm and perfect ease

In this secluded village place Where noise has long since fled The mother earth in tender folds Has put her gems to bed

The shepherd returns from the fields
As slumber starts to break
The birds return to find their nests
Before the morning wake

This hem of earth this mother's lap
This warmth of soil and soul Even in the deepest night It keeps the spirit whole

Such a night and such a moon And such a quiet land
I wish to return to this place Again and close at hand