Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poets
    • Poems
    • Makar – National Poet
      • Our Waking Breath: A Poem-letter from Scotland to Ukraine
      • A Woman’s A Woman
      • The story of the Makar – National Poet of Scotland
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Spiorad an Àite
      Spirit of Place
    • The Trysting Thorns
    • Poetry Ambassadors
      Tosgairean na Bàrdachd
      • Poetry Commissions: Walter Scott 250
        Coimiseanan Bàrdachd: Walter Scott 250
      • Poetry Ambassadors 2021
    • Posters
    • Podcasts
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • Designing sensory poetry activities
    • Children’s poems in Scots
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Meeting rooms and venue hire
    • Exhibitions
  • Shop
    • Poetry Highlights
    • Entropie Books
    • Stichill Marigold Press
    • Poems for Doctors, Nurses & Teachers
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Company Papers & Policies
    • Our projects
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Amir Mounib
  • >
  • My High-prowed Sailing-boat
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

My High-prowed Sailing-boat

Amir Mounib

You, who from that first dawn
Have been built out of the trees’ body,
With a cry of joy, ringing the alarm
Of the axe, the panga and sabre,
Their courage being their weapon,
O, daughter of the green Bénara;

You, whom millions of generations
Have witnessed, have known you,
Whether Djumbé Fatima, Queen of Moheli,
Or the Sultan Andriantsouli of Mayotte,
I know you’ve lived through many civilisations;

O my sailer, no matter the weather
If it blows, if it thunders or if it pours,
You’ll return through the long darkness always
With your world shining joyfully at meeting again
After such a long period of absence
From familiar eyes.


Amir Mounib

from Invitation to a Voyage, edited by Stephen Gray (Pretoria: Protea Book House, 2008)

translated by Stephen Gray

Reproduced by kind permission of the publisher.

Tags:

African poetry Comoros sailing ships and boats

About this poem

This poem, representing Comoros, is part of The Written World – our collaboration with BBC radio to broadcast a poem from every single nation competing in London 2012.

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Amir Mounib

More about Amir Mounib

Events

Discover our poetry events at the library & online.
Find forthcoming Events

Online Shop

Browse our range of poetry books, cards and gifts in our online shop.
Shop now
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2022.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
Scottish Poetry Library