A Tribute to Ahmed Shawqi the Poet...

On 13th October 1932, the great Eyptian poet, "Amir al-Sho’araa" or literally means the " "Prince of Poets", Ahmed Shawqi, left this world at the age of 62 years old. Some 50 years later, on the 13th October 1983, me own Ahmad Syauqi, the doctor and blogger, was born to this world bringing hope aplenty. Maybe he won't be as close to his namesake in his poetry and prose but nevertheless, this "insignificant being" can blog and put his thoughts down for others to share and ponder...that is good enough for any parents to be proud of...

Ahmed Shawqi the poet, has been attributed to making the following observation regarding the state of Islam and its followers during his times "You can find many Muslims in the East but no Islam whereas you can find Islam in the West but no Muslims". This has great significance to the fact that Muslims were beginning to take the Islamic values lightly in the East whereas in the West, although there were not many Muslims around, most of the Westerners (unknowingly) are living according to the principles as preached by Islam such as being honest and true to themselves. If the observation is true, which me can vouch to be true (as observed during me travels across Europe), this would augurs well to making the West a fertile ground for the rapid spread of Islam...

Ahmed Shawqi has also penned down many thoughtful statements which have been since then widely known as wise sayings as can be sampled below:

1. He who oppresses with a rightful weapon will be oppressed with a wrongful weapon.

2. When people brag, they lend to a cat a tiger's mustache.

3. Doomed to perdition is a nation that by an individual survives and dies.

4. Underwater, all depths are alike.

5. Valor may require one be a coward for an hour.

6. A woman-half learnt-looks prettier, a man-half ignorant-looks uglier.

7. A wise man, while unforgetful of life is mindful of death.

8. You may be cured of illness by protection, but cannot escape death until you have met it.

9. He who delves deep in human souls, will never again rise.

10. Brimful prisons are doomed to burst out.

11. Right will never fade out in a nation as long as it has a single man alive.

Maybe me Dr Ahmad Syauqi the blogger can learn something from the many treasures left by Ahmed Shawqi the Prince of Poets and possibly continues with his legacy for the good of the Ummah for your old man too has dedicated you to the services of the Ummah when you came to this world almost 26 years ago....

Perhaps the poetry below from one of his major play entitled "Majnun Laila", literally "Laila Love's Lunatic" written in 1931, a year before his death, could give us a glimpse of what this great poet had left amongst his many treasures reproduced here as a tribute to the Prince of Poets...maybe hidden in between its beautiful verses some wise sayings for us all to muse over its meanings...in order to face the many challenges of our times...

O’ God !

I wander all day and pine through time,
And seek some comfort in my rhyme.
The noblest of rhymes overflow with love,
The sweetest line - the musical and pure -
Are written down for the heart as a cure.
Men turn as they pay to the holy place;
To Laila’s home I turn my face.
Twice people say their payers at dawn;
When I think 0of her’
I know not the times I repeat my own,
Laila hid behind a crowd;
Her lip betrayed a smile,
Like the break of morn,
Or the sun as it shone.
Her sweet breath filled the air,
Made perfumed roses seem less fair.
A shiver ran through my form
From head to toe
As though my eye had met her own.
Let’s love:
All men are mortal but love never dies:
Laila and I loved with young eyes:
Our love story which is now alive,
To our successors will continue to survive.
Generations of men will die and go past,
But our true love will forever last.

(Translated by Dr Jeanette W.S. Attiya)