A Sea Shanty on Day Ten #NaPoWriMo 2023

Dear Readers,

Day Ten of #Na/GloWriPoMo has been the hardest prompt thus far for it challenges the poet to write a sea shanty.

I'm of the mountains. I do love the sea but to write a sea shanty! Well, that's another story or poetry.

In order to connect to my inner-being, I closed my eyes to conjure up seascapes or sea songs that would gently tide me over to 'lets-give-it-a-go' port.

I live in Qatar--a nation proud of its pearl-diving heritage. Suddenly, an idea flashed. Why not look at some of the pearl-diving-sea-songs for inspiration. 

Going down rabbit holes of discovery is a favourite and fabulous thing. I found out that the lead singer of sea-songs is called the nahhām.

According to this article on QDL, "The nahhām was a paid professional singer, regarded foremost important on every boat and ship."

The following is an attempt ...

Doha, Qatar

nahhām nahhām nahhām 

The song you sing of love

is the kohl, her eyes

becomes the night

They ask me when 

the tide will turn

The hearth and the fire

have just one desire

nahhām nahhām nahhām 

The song you sing of longing

is the jasmine, her hair

O! the mighty waves

She un-braids just for me

The debts are not yet paid

She says, but come home anyway

nahhām nahhām nahhām

The song you sing of pearls

is the promise, her embrace

The salt I taste makes me thirsty

May Allah have mercy

Pray and sing His praises

She's seeing the same moon as me.

nahhām nahhām nahhām....

*******

"Generally, lyrics are derived from literary and colloquial Arabic poetry." states the article. 

"While the lengthy rhythm cycles remind the listener of the temple music in Kerala (south India), the communal bourdon singing recreates an atmosphere similar to the music of Tibetan monks or Sattya Hindu monks in Assam (north-east India)."

Like a true sea-voyage, I ended up finding pearls of wisdom from the songs of the sea. I hadn't set out to find any of this. 

Here's a sample of  Sea Music from Qatar: