Poems by the Master Mariner
THE Great Scrabble Player
On this checker board of nights and
Days,
He plays the Game in
His Inscrutable Ways!
Not knowing why He
Plays,
We, the Tiles, humbly
Follow the Play!
And when He decides to take us
Off the Rack,
Through old age, storms
Or quacks,
We obediently get back
In His Bag!
Yet, deep in our inner
Soul,
We know that He Knows “Why”,
And we know that he has a
Goal!
Capt.retired Abdus salam Khan
Written at Ontario Airport
Tuesday.17th Dec 2013
awaiting daughter Attiya from East Coast by SW Airline Flight 664
Capt.Abdus Salam Khan
New Year thoughts (2013)
“Ah! The New Year stirring New desires,
The thoughtful soul to Inward Solitude retires!
Lo! The White Hand of Moses on the Bough
Puts out, and Jesus from ground suspires!”
Whatever destruction stupid men may wreak
The Hand of Nature will continue to seek
Evolved Specimens of Human Race
Full of Wisdom, Elegance and Grace!
Ruby-red grape shall continue
to kindle on the vine
And many a flower shall bloom on the shoreline!
Wishing you a very happy New Year!
(Capt. Abdus Salam Khan)
Thoughts on My Eighty Sixth Birthday
Lord, the sun has shone on my back,
Endless bounties Thou hast bestowed
I am drinking from my saucer
As my cup has overflowed!
I’ve never made a fortune,
it’s probably too late now.
But I don’t worry about it much,
I’m happy anyhow!
And as I go along life’s way,
I’m reaping better than I sowed.
I’m drinking from my saucer,
For my cup has overflowed!
Haven’t got a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going’s tough
But I’ve loving ones all around
and that makes me rich enough.
I thank GOD for his Blessings,
The Mercies He ’s bestowed.
I’m drinking from my saucer,
For my cup has overflowed!
At times things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
Suddenly the dark clouds broke,
and lo, the sun peeped in !
So, LORD , help me not to gripe,
about the tough rows I have ploughed,
I’m drinking from my saucer,
For my cup has overflowed.
Lord, grant me courage,
When the going gets tough
I’ll not ask for aught,
I’m already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads.
I’ll keep drinking from my saucer,
For my cup has overflowed.
Whenever ,O loved ones,
You gather at my wake,
Turn up an empty cup and saucer
For old times’ sake!
For the one who to his Creator
Gratefully bowed;
Who drank from his saucer
As his cup had overflowed!
(Capt.Abdus Salam Khan ,with J.Dean)
The Time
The process of change
is a part of the Plan
Things evolve as
they travel their span.
In the mornings,
looking in the mirror to shave
All I can see
is a strange old man!
(Capt. Abdus Salam Khan)
In memory of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian
A hundred years have gone
Since you left us, O Imaam.
We miss you and
Your blessed time.
Your smiling face,
Your presence sublime.
We miss you so,
O Ahmad’s Ghulam.
Alaikul salaat wa
Alaikul salaam!
(Composed by Capt Abdus Salam Khan of California, USA)
O Prophet of Mine!
Gathered in thy person I divine
O Prophet of mine
The hallmarks of the ancients
Their shining signs!
The quickening breath of Jesus does blow
Joseph’s angelic looks do show,
The White Hand of Moses does shine
In thy holy person,
O Prophet of mine!
The above is an English rendering of the Persian verses:
Hoosan-e-yusaf, dumay Eesa, yuday baize daaree,
Aancheh khoobaan haman darand wa tu tanha daaree.
(Composed by Capt Abdus Salam Khan, Rancho Cucamonga, California)
Iqbal’s poem on death
About death, a knowing mind doesn’t worry like some,
To him, it is just a prelude for things yet to come.
Some think of it to be the end of life,
Nay, it is this life’s eventide … the dawn of an eternal life.
The end result of life’s fire isn’t a bowl of ashes,
It is not a pearl that one casually smashes.
Life seems so precious in Mother Nature’s sight,
It has put the “self-preservation” code in everyone’s inside.
If life’s imprint could be erased easily by death,
Mother Mature wouldn’t have made it common as our breath.
Understand well,
Think death to be naught.
Just like our life, which goes on,
Undisturbed by sleep’s onslaught,
(August 2008)
[A translation of Iqbal’s poem on death by Capt. Abdus Salam Khan]
Life in these United States
Fajr …dawn … sweet sleep.
Zuhr…afternoon… in worldly pursuits,
Knee-deep.
Asr … when the sun loses its shine
We are hard-pressed … to meet a deadline.
Maghrib … sunset …we´re on the roll,
home, sweet home, is our goal.
Between Maghrib and Isha
On the sofa, with our biwi
Downing Big Mac and Coke,
Watching news on TV.
One of these days,
When I´ve made enough dough,
To my beloved homeland,
To Pakistan,
I´ll go.
And mend my fences
With my Maker.
And Make amends
For the time lost here.
Will grow a beard
Will attend to prayer.
Meanwhile, Hurrah!
I have been hired.
To hell with losers,
Who have been fired.
(Captain Abdus Salam Khan, August 2007
Rancho Cucamonga, California)
Farewell Address of The Holy Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ
Sensing that his mission was done
Since Surah `Fatah` had already come,
Seated on his she-camel
He did address
His followers, all in a Haji´s dress,
A hundred thousand strong,
United by a fraternal bond,
All kinds of men,
Fair, brown and black,
Chanting: Labbaik…
Allahumma, Labbaik!
Thus:
“All praise is due to Allah
Him do we praise
From Him we seek assistance
From Him we seek grace!
Repentantly we turn to Him
In Him we seek refuge,
From the mischief of our inner selves
From the effects of sins` deluge!
Whose Allah Guideth
None can lead astray
And those that He doesn’t
None can show the way!”
“Hark ye and listen,
For I may not be around
The next time you gather
In `Arafat´s hallowed ground!
So listen carefully to what I say
and spread it around!”
“O men!
Guard your duty to Allah,
Do guard it ever so well,
Tread in His way fearfully,
Beware of the fire of hell!!”
“He alone is worthy of worship
I declare and testify,
And I am His servant-apostle
He sent to pacify,
To reform and remind
Every nation on this earth
All of mankind!”
“I call you all
To all that is good
to what you shouldn’t
And what you should!
All the savage customs
Of pre-Islamic days,
All the evil habits
All the filthy ways,
Stand trampled under my foot
Forever and for good!”
“Hark yea, O Men!”
“Just as God is One,
So was your father Adam!
Let there be no question
Of Arab over the Ajam!
Or, the colour of your skin
Descended from Adam,
We are all akin!
None enjoys any priority
In the Eyes of Allah
Except through his piety,
Or, what is called `Taqwa`!
All claims to excellence
All claims to being fine,
Pride in your forefathers
Glorying in your line,
Stands wiped out
By command of the Divine!”
“You are secure, if Allah you fear,
If you don’t,
The consequences you bear!
You are all born of Adam,
The progenitor, the first,
And he was just a mortal,
A Handful of dust!”
“Hark yea! O Men! And listen!”
“Your blood, your property
and your honour,
Like this day, this city,
This place, this hour
Are sacrosanct!”
“Soon you shall be standing
in Allah´s Court,
Facing the reckoning,
Giving your report!”
“Don’t you lose the Way
after me,
Striking each other´s necks
In rage and fury!”
“All the blood feuds of yore
Are void and no more!
Forgive and forget,
It´s better for you,
I declare forgiven
The blood of my nephew!”
“Return all deposits,
All interest, waive!
But the principal of the debt
Shall be duly met!”
“All usury is banned
By Allah´s Command,
And the first sum I write off
is my uncle´s demand!”
“Verily, Satan and his evil band has despaired
of being worshipped in this Holy Land!!”
“Beware of his machinations
Lest he leads astray,
By suggesting minor sins
He makes you lose the Way!”
“The Number of months is twelve
In Allah´s reckoning,
Four of these are sacred,
Having no fighting!
“Hark! Yea O men!”
“Beware of Allah,
Give your wives their rights,
In Allah´s name you´ve taken them,
As your wedded wives!
They should guard their chastity,
And be faithful to you,
Good food, clothing and shelter
Are certainly their due
Should they breach the trust
Chastise them lightly,
Don’t treat them cruelly
Nor beat brutally!
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“As for the slaves,
They are Allah´s trust,
Treating them with gentle kindness,
For you, it is a must!
Feed them well and full
With what you yourself eat,
Clothe them well and properly,
Keeping them clean and neat!”
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“In matters of inheritance
He´s fixed for all a share,
So non can now stipulate
A bequest regarding on heir!”
A son inherits from the man
in whose bed he is born
And fornicator´s punishment
is laid down in the Quran!”
“A husband´s property
is a trust unto his wife,
She must guard it carefully
As she guards her life!”
“Hark yea! O men!”
“Debts should be repaid,
Things borrowed restored,
A guarantor is liable
For the sum he has assured!
By meeting a gift with a gift
Mutual affection is secured!”
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“A man is surely responsible
For the acts he has done,
The son won´t pay for his father,
Nor the father for his son!
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“Even if an African
with a sawn-off nose
is made an Amir over you,
Give him his due respect,
And the obedience that is his due!”
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“There`s no prophet after me,
(Neither old nor new),
Nor another Ummah
Is going to come into view!”
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“Lovingly worship your Lord,
Dutifully, offer prayers, five odd,
Piously, observe Ramadhan, the month of fasting
At least, once in a lifetime,
Visit the house of God!”
“Hark yea! O Men!”
“I leave something behind
That will always remain with you,
Hold on to it firmly
And keep it in your view,
It`s the Book of Allah,
And my Sunna,
A record of what I do!”
Finally he posed the question
To Islam’s mighty nation,
“When the Good Lord asks you
On the Day of Resurrection,
Did my Apostle convey
My Mission?
What would you tell Him then!”
“We shall say; he accomplished the mission,
Delivered Thy Message,
a duty well done!”
With one voice they responded,
Islam´s valiant sons!
He then,
Lifting his finger
Towards the sky,
Addressed his Lord,
God
the High:
Spake thus:
“O Allah! Bear Witness!
O Allah! Bear witness!
(Captain Abdus Salam Khan, Virginia, U.S.A.)
