The Night Poem by Emdad Shah Emdad

by Emdad Shah


The night descends in heavy velvet fold
The wind is famished shivering and cold
The distant woods stand hushed in solemn trance While crickets weave a song of rhythmic dance
The fireflies light their lanterns one by one
Where scented groves of keya softly run—
With coral, spanish Cherry, jasmine, white and sweet
The heavy air makes fragrance quite complete

A mother wakes, the silent watch to keep
While slumber's kohl weighs down the infant's sleep The village rests beneath her mantle spread
Though city-bound, the village dreams have fled
And still, the restless boy remains unled

The weary world has closed its tired eye
Drawn by the cloak of dreams beneath the sky
Fairytales bloom within the phantom glad
The moon keeps vigil in the silver shade
Upon the leaves, the weight of stillness lies
And forest birds have hushed their lullabies

Across the fields the jackal's mournful cry
The cattle stir and heave a frightened sigh
The shepherd strives to calm the trembling herd While from the wood, the owl's deep note is heard
The bat flits by with sudden, jagged flight
As commerce stirs within the pulse of night—
Then silence reigns save where the shadows creep
And creatures of the dark their vigils keep

The ape cries out within the distant brake
And love stirs deep, for ancient spirits' sake
In dreams, some wander through a phantom gate
The stars blink low, as if to whisper fate
The moon bestows a vast and silver kiss
And bathes the world in pale, ethereal bliss

Beside the lotus-pool, the midnight hour
The village maid, a soft and budding flower
Moves like the stream, with murmurs cool and deep
Where magic waters lull the world to sleep
The scent of blossoms plays a fleeting part
The moon pours light to soothe the heavy heart
Gone is the gloom, the dark has ebbed away
In night's sweet grace, where night and beauty sway

The songs of birds have faded from the air
The river's hum is all that lingers there
The city-worn return to hearth and home
Where only winds and songs of breezes roam Some seek the Lord, some seek the dark profound Some drown in youth where restless hearts are bound
Yet in this night beneath the starlit span
The earth remains a home for every man.