Scheherazade of Persia (a haiku, ghazal and free verse)


Hope shimmers skywards
Stars greet summer night stories 
Arabian Tales



The moon and stars have come out to play, my love
As you walk in the garden tonight, my love

Pale in comparison to your loveliness
     The tall trees and river can only sigh, love                

You tell stories to the Sultan in chambers
The cliffhanger is here as dawn draws nigh, love

You live yet another day, as he wonders
The people do pray for you and your life, love

Day ends and once again the Queen disappears
Hope illuminates the streets until sunrise, love

Today, in books and around the lounge fires
Storytellers pay tribute to you, my love



rich walls whisper
tapestries hang
delicious folklore spills forth
behind screen of virtue

transcend time and place

horrific terror
she will bring it to end
with delicious selfless love
behind screen of truth

beauty and grace




by ninotaziz, the storyteller. all rights reserved.

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Inspired by beauty, I write a haiku, a ghazal and free verse in tribute to a most famous ancient Queen. Do you know who she is and the name of her city?

Thank you Kelvin at dVerse. You debut in style.




74 comments:

  1. very cool...nice use of the form again...you have really latched on to this form...and you do use it well to weave your stories.....

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    1. Yes, Brian, I love it for its form, history and the fact that ghazal has become a part of our own tradition for hundreds of years.

      It was quite amazing to be introduced through dVerse like that.

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    2. nice..i like the verse you added since i was here earlier...the haiku in particular is beautiful...

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  2. Romance is your specialty ... lovely form, lovely poem. Nefertiti and Thebes come to mind ... However I may be way off base.

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    1. My specialty? Why thank you Helen. We will keep everyone who drops by guessing.

      My youngest daughter is named after Nefertari. Not as famous as Nefertiti but wife of Ramses II. To be remembered after millenniums...

      Will our stories survive?

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  3. Wonderful .. I do like the form, too and have to go back to use is more...reminders of tales of Scheherazade?

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    1. The Ghazal kinds of grows on you. Thank you for playing, Katy. Answers out in a bit!

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    2. Congratulations for being the first to guess correctly. You do know your storytellers, Katy.

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  4. Beautiful work. Each form has richness and depth as you write them.

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    1. Thank you Mary. I started out with the Ghazal, and the rest just unfolded naturally.

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  5. Love the flavour and texture offered here. An exotic perspective. Very enjoyable.

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    1. Dear Henry,

      I would have tried a French version too but I was too tired. It has been a week of writing speeches and reports.

      I am glad you like them.

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  6. I like the variety of forms and the story that you weave into and through each one. Delightful.

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    1. Thank you, Eusebia. I write as how it comes to me moment nby moment. Editing is half the fun!

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  7. I like the tercet of Arabian tales ~

    Knowing how difficult a ghazal is, I appreciate the repetition of my love/love ~ Is the clue with storyteller ?

    Grace

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    1. Yes Grace, she was a world famous storyteller who intrigued the east and the west for centuries.

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  8. What a wonderful story you weaved

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  9. Very romantic all. Lovely to enjoy tonight.

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    1. Dear Alice,
      Stories are best enjoyed under the cloak of night.

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  10. ...wow... a triple treat Ninot, ma'am... you are too generous & really talented in storytelling thru poetry...

    ..stars greet summer night stories--- i just loved that and makes me think how most of the stories were told using stars & constelations during the ancient times...

    ...and yet again another wonderful ghazal here... i may be clueless of the name of the queen but basing on your words she seemed to be very good and effective leader and loved by many to have her remembered thru times...

    ...reigning wise in beauty & grace is what i got from your last... loved the mix of modern terms to such a classic topic / subject... it clearly shows adaptability to many changes in time...

    ...i enjoyed each of 'em... thank you for a wonderful experience... smiles...

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    1. Hi Kelvin,
      What a lovely prompt you introduced at dVerse..

      I actually grew up with the black and white illustrations of this storyteller. Magical lands and fantastical tales with lovely images page after page.

      I can tell the stories until today, of shimmering golden, aquamarine, red and silver fishes that ended in the Sultan's kitchen, of stallions that come up from the sea to mate and flying horses that delivered the most beautiful princess to hell and back.

      Of suffering, of comic, of love and betrayal. Of temptation and redemption.

      I can only seek to spread her tales and tales of the Nusantara as well as I can, using all mediums, all persuasions.

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  11. A triple treat here... love them all!

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    1. Glad you dropped by today, laurie! Lovely weekend!

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  12. Yes, you are the storyteller and no matter what form you use, your tales are intriguing and steeped in history. Sigh. Lovely work, Ninot!

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  13. An excellent post and great merging of styles.

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  14. Replies
    1. Storytellers need strength to go on. Not all of them are Queens! Thank you Cosmo.

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  15. Rich walls whispers - I love that line. Captures the emotions that the eye can experience

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    1. I love running my fingers along walls of rich carved wood or embroidered tapestries. Warm and rich, the result of hard work by masters long gone...

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  16. Ninot Ma'am,
    A medley of offerings. A measure of versatility. The rare gem sparkles brightly again. Nicely Ma'am!

    Hank

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  17. the form subject and language all feel like they belong together. they flow and fit well with the images. =)

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  18. Scheherazade is always a magnificent subject for any form of poetry.

    Tolling Bell

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    1. Thank you Mark for playing. Loved the tolling bells...

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    2. You certainly nailed it Mark - no doubts at all about who she was!

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  19. A triple helping no less!
    I always enjoy a competent ghazal.

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    1. Aprille, you are kind and I am ecstatic you enjoyed my offering.

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  20. Oh, I love those Arabian tales!

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  21. oh i would love to find out the name of the queen...you really made me curious of what she did and why...

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    1. Thank you for dropping by Claudia. Answers soon!

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    2. I did post the answers over at dVerse. But it disappeared...I do not know whether it went through, Claudia.

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  22. This is so beautiful... I love how it all weaves together.

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    1. Thank you Serena. I could not find your blog...thank you for dropping by! And glad you loved it.

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  23. What an outburst of creativity - I love all three versions of this! I am thinking Sheherezade (don't know if I've spelled that right). I love the dreamy melodiousness of your poetry - not just the ghazal.

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    1. Dear Marina Sofia,
      I love the dreamy! I will come back in a bit to reveal the queen - thank you for taking part !

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    2. You are absolutely right Marina Sofia! Scheherazade it was!

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  24. Nino, thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting! This is a triad of pure loveliness... three different forms, three aspects of the same woman. I'm wondering if this is Scheherazade from 1,001 Arabian Nights? She was from Persia, I believe. I didn't look at other comments yet!! Wanted to see if I could get this one by myself. It just seems as though the tales are told by her and about her... the middle of the trilogy, the ghazal, was my favorite, the romance of it. Free verse was lovely as well, especially the notions that walls whisper secrets beneath curtains! That was a head-turner. Peace, Amy

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Dear Amy,
      Three happy 'thank you' from me that you liked all of them as a tribute to the one and the same...Answers out soon!

      The ghazal is really getting popular, I can't thank Samuel and dVerse enough for introducing it.

      Cheers Amy!

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    3. Dear Amy, yes, it was Scheherazade. And wasn't she a brave and beloved queen of the people. In a world like today where millions of women and little girls are violated, we could do with Scheherazade!

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  25. "rich walls whispers
    tapestries hang
    delicious folklore spills forth
    behind screen of virtue

    transcend time and place"

    Such rich imagery to illustrate your tribute. Am not sure of the queen, but you honor her with your words!

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    1. Thank you Ginny. It was a lovely experience honoring this storyteller. She deserves it. Wholely. And she is among the most masterful and enduring ones of all.

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  26. I love the enchantment of your words~
    " rich walls whispers
    tapestries hang
    delicious folklore spills forth
    behind screen of virtue"

    Yes, many whispers align in these threaded tales!
    Beautiful!!!

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  27. i like the narrative in the last one.

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  28. each one beautifies the pic! further as if they were posted for the verses themselves!

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    1. Glad you appreciated the whole package Akila...thank you so much.

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  29. Three beautiful delights in one visit - you spoil us Ninot :-)

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    1. Well, Tony, we aim to please! You are spoiling me now...thank you!

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  30. LOVE the haiku, and appreciate your ability to impart time, place, mood.

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    1. Wow, that was a lovely thing to say, for to impart time, place and mood is no small feat - thank you Kim!

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  31. I love what you've done here Nino. I've seen you do this before and it is quite striking and flows so smoothly. Wonderful!

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    1. Thanks Renee - you are right I love to combine artwork and words to produce something more visually exciting. But the subject matter must be inspiring!

      Really, thanks Renee for your kind observation.

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  32. Lovely post. Very enjoyable, thank you:) Tigerbrite

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    1. Hi Tiger!
      Great that you could make it here . Thank you!

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  33. Its all about poems yet I find so much of varieties in your blog. There's always new things for me to learn every time I pay you a visit here. Very well written, Ninot! I'm so glad that the world is reading your ghazal!

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    1. Zunnur,
      Again I am happy to see you here. You have great talent and should follow your dreams. My dream is quite simple - a blessed life. And I thank God daily in the ways I receive blessings guidance and gifts.

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