📜 Lyrics
The river is in flood
And the boat is burdened
The waters have swallowed everything
There is a sign of departure
A spectacle that tests consciousness
In the mouths of the waves there is foam
A roar surrounds us from all sides
The current brings death
And the shore is far away
There is no support
The waves are blade-tested
Are they blades or are they waves
The wind's fierceness becomes repentance
The fierceness of the wave of annihilation
What calamity's fierceness is this
What is the captain's strategy
What refuge is the oar
Whirlpools are forming
They are fighting with the boat
The planks are coming loose
The joy of songs is silent
All the boat's revelry is silent
Whose wedding procession is this
The bridegroom and the wedding guests
Have taken the dowry and the palanquin
The eyes are filled with despair
Sighs dance upon the lips
In the palanquin, a beauty like a houri
Does she tremble with fear
Yet there is affection upon her lips
Upon the bridegroom's head is the desert
Yet his face is sorrowful
There was longing for pleasure
There was a search for love
Hope was face to face
What is this revolution
The embrace of death is open
Alas, O God
Has ruin come
Fate's lack of vision
Hearts are growing cold
Faces are growing pale
In this calamity of judgment
In this tone of annihilation
In this torrent of wind and flood
All the people of despair are lost
Consciousness and faculties are lost
Some are absorbed in prayer
Some in lamentation and weeping
Some in complaint against God
There sits a widow
Whose virtue is patience
Pressing her heart with her hand
Holding her child to her breast
The arrow of hope pierces her
This is the father's legacy
The capital of youth
One day he will grow strong
He will be his mother's honor
God will be merciful
A young man of ill fortune
Has fled from home in rebellion
He left behind both father and mother
Wife too, and his dwelling
Now he leaves behind even his life
Oh would that I had not come
Oh would that I had turned back
Oh stubborn nature, alas
Oh pride, alas upon you
Alas, pure and utter alas
These demon-born waves
These newly created waves
Again comes a flood
The boat has become a straw
It is finished, all is over
Strategy weeps
Destiny sleeps
The boatman pulls the oar
His foot emerges in the river
Alas, nothing but despair emerges
The storm of sorrow carries all away
It is the cry of lamentation
Who is there to help
The boat is left to you
O Lord, save us
O boat that is lost
May you reach the other shore
You are the God of the servants
And you are also the captain
Your help alone remains
💡 Meaning & story
Background and Central Purpose of the Poem - Written by Hafeez Jalandhari 1900-1982
The primary purpose of this poem is to present human helplessness, the supremacy of destiny, and man's turning toward God in a dramatic manner. Hafeez Jalandhari has depicted the reality of life through a boat caught in a river's storm.
1. Visual Imagery
The poem begins with a terrifying scene. The river is in flood, the waves cut like swords, and the boat's planks are being torn apart. The poet has painted such a picture with words that the reader can hear the roar of the storm.
2. Different Types of Human Reaction
The poet shows through different people aboard the boat how man transforms when approaching death:
• A newlywed bride and groom: who were full of hope for happiness but now face death.
• A young rebel who fled his home: who now regrets his defiance and is caught in the web of "if only."
• A widowed mother: who holds her orphaned child close, clinging to patience and dreaming of the future.
• The boatmen: on whom there was trust, but they saved themselves and fled (an element of betrayal).
3. Helplessness and Servitude
The poem concludes with a philosophy of powerlessness. When human efforts (oars, boatmen, courage) fail, man realizes that the true "Helmsman" (one who steers the boat) is only God.
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The Meaning of the Poem (Summary)
We can divide this poem into three sections:
• The Terrible Storm: The river rages, the waves bring a message of death. The boat is in dire condition and there seems no hope of escape.
• The Passengers of the Boat: There is a wedding procession in the boat whose joy is turning to mourning. There is a sinful or rebellious youth who is filled with regret, and a patient mother who desires life for her child. Here the poet shows that death does not care for anyone's age or happiness.
• Prayer and Supplication: When even the boatmen have abandoned them and all measures have failed, everyone cries out: O God! Now only You can ferry this boat to safety. You are the true Helmsman.
The Essence: This poem teaches us that no matter how headstrong man becomes in the turbulent waves of life, ultimately he needs the support of a Higher Being (God).
Lyrics & Meaning
