THE BEGUMS AND THE SULTAN

THE BEGUMS AND THE SULTAN

 

One day Princess Jasmine

Begged Prince Aladdin

To let her enter into his magic garden

Where an enchanted tree

Grew the most unusual magic lamps

Plucking one from a tree

That looked like a wooden cello

Sang melodiously a golden harp

 Princess Jasmine rubbing

 The magic lantern

With her flowery scarf

Lo! Appeared a Genie

Half a human and half a carp

Began to sing as pleasant as a 

Croaky frog

So said the Genie to Princess Jasmine

With a smirk

And a chortle of delight

"What do you wish for?

Now that I remind you of a twerp"

With plectrum mandolin he plucked

And then from nowhere a guitar

A raspy melody for a beautiful princess

With a star!

 

 Pretty Jasmine with her diamond crown 

Worth more than hundreds and thousands

Golden and silver guineas

Singing to the twerp of a genie clown

"I wish not for stars

For them I have numerous

Upon my tiara as bright as a blue boat

That I wear upon my jubilant rainbow hood and cloak

Only wish I to see an island

As beautiful as a magic lagoon on a desert

That only a camel

Can pass through an eye of a needle

Its single grain

A task insurmountable

By even a horse so golden

Or a lion with a yellow mane

Like a flash in a pan!

There sailing by my boat as bright as the blue sea

I'd ride the stars that deck the crown upon me

And with my radiant rainbow coat

I'll bring ashore

A rusty clip and an iron hoe

To shuffle a garden with roses so many

Growing underneath a beautiful palace

Instead above the court

Like a deck of cards

And it'd have a tunnel

Where I could enter 

To see the Sultan Ahmad Bismillah!

Stunning Bastille or forts

Some tall, some small and some in between

His stunning Palace of course

The many Begums

In black veils he'd polish and treasure

Even gift rhubarb and jam

To each beautiful maiden

With habits one by one

Green, blue, black and brown

Wearing Black Veils 

They'd sing and dance

For the Sultan Ahmad Bismillah!

All for his precious tree

Growing on his heavenly island

Yet with a frown

Stood he still growing

Young to old

Old to young

Wiser and full of wisdom

Wearing a crown called Kismet

Full of stars!

Now could you twerp of a genie

You funny clown!

Half human and half carp

Pray tell me what it is that I wish for?

That under the sky's tarp

 With my diamond tiara

Brightly lit stars

My radiant rainbow coat of many colours

And bright boat yonder blue, blue sea

I'd sail upon

As blue as the irises in my eyes

To reach a magic lagoon on an enchanted desert

Blue, green and luscious

Would it indeed be!"

 

The genie half a human and a carp

Began to dance

With fish tails, a mandolin with plectrum

Then plucking strings of a guitar

He guessed right an answer to give 

To pretty Jasmine with a diamond crown full of stars

Promised her a date with young old Kismet Tree full of Kajoor's

Like a flash of lightening in the blue sky

The genie proudly replied

As if a tinder match ignited a carp fish

Luminous and bright

"I plainly see that what you wish for 

Is an oasis 

A green patch in midst of a blue lagoon

Right in the middle of a desert

Full of green grass and blue waters

A sierra of ebony mountains so serene

Shining and glittering like

Black onyxes, sapphires, rubies and emerald gems

Right in the middle of a desert

Where camels clip clop cloppity

Even through an eye as fine a needle

The grains of sand would tell you that

Not by a golden horse that flies

Or even a lion with a yellow mane!

I'd grant to you what you wish for…..

A date with Sultan Date Tree

King Ahmad Bismillah

My fair Princess Jasmine!"

 

Then with a shrill laugh

 And "Ahem! Ahem!"

Chortled he in delight and smirked again

The wise Princess Jasmine courteously replied

"Genie half human and half a carp

Of a Lamp divine

Take me to the Land of the Sultan

King of Palm trees fine

To see his sparkling jewels

His many Noori's shining with black velvet veils 

Like Black Kohinoor's

Upon his tasty date tree palms

The Omani Kajoor Begums

Of the Omani Kajoor Sultan"

 

Poof! In a trice

Upon the genius genie's cherubic wing

Princess Jasmine flew and landed 

Right in the middle

Of Blue lagoon island in the desert

Astonishingly an oasis of a green patch

Where camels hunched clip clop clopping by

Through a tiny grain

Right through a fine eye the needle

Not by a golden horse that flies

Or by lions striding with golden manes!

She marvelled at the many Palm trees named Kismet

Seeing such beautiful Kajoor's on his splendour date trees

Exclaimed Princess Jasmine

To the Omani Kajoor Sultan Tree

"King Ahmad 

Bismillah!

Your date palm trees stand tall

And thy begums dressed in black veils

So sweet and tender

Shall I have my plate full of seeds or seedless?

To taste such sweet hearts as these

Delicious dates

Kismet fruits of your kismet tree

O' King Ahmad

Omani Kajoor King O' Date Trees!"

 

The King Ahmad proud of his tell tale clan

The many shining begums

Dressed in black veils

On his tall towering trees

That gently the breeze uplifted veils

Of the shady habit gowns

His shiny black jewels 

So sweet and tender

They cried:

"Shine O' shine lamp divine

Thy enchanted kingdom

The sultan and begums

In thy splendour city"

Where grew such immense palm trees

Jack rabbits hopped, rivers gurgled

Camels clopped and donkeys flew

Of the strange Palm Beach lagoon

Right in the centre of the desert

In the very heart of a cactus jungle

Then the genie with a plectrum mandolin he plucked

And from no whence strings of a guitar

The half human and half carp

Of a twerp Genie

Singing sometimes a golden harp!

Sometimes a croaking frog!
 

In the heart of a cactus jungle

The beautiful black bejewelled Begums

Of the Sultan date tree

Began to hum as he grew astonishingly

From young to old

And old to young

Much wiser now and full of wisdom though

So quickly did the magic genie

Seeing so lush

Gorgeous date Queens

Growing lusciously upon the Kajoor King

Wished his dates with the Kismet tree Begums

Filled his sack of gunny full

Of the blushing brides in black veils

 Adorning green, blue, black and brown

  Stunning habits of Queens

The King so proudly displayed

As he plucked them one by one

Flying on top with his cherubic wing

All the delicious date Kings wives

His Kajoori Begums

Began to cry inconsolably

Of the dear Palm King O' Sultan Date tree

 

The Sultan however

Just shrugged his shoulders

Like heavy boulders

He sighed!

For soon his amazing kingdom

Of his date trees

Would be filled once again

With the most beautiful

Omani Kajoors

More soft and tender

More shiny, black and beautiful

As he grew older Benjamin Button's

And they turned younger hidden in veils

Finally cradled them like babies

Tenderly in his loving arms

 

Said Princess Jasmine

To the old and grey date Kismet Tree

With great rapture 

A melancholy poetry

Like a quizzical conundrum 

"You are growing older Sir Benjamin Button's

And your brides younger

Does that make you a cradle snatcher?

And they your tiny princesses in veils

Now I delight eating one everyday

With seeds or seedless

In my silver plate

Called Dates of Kismet

Hope King Ahmad we soon meet again one day

In thy loving oasis

Full of Kismet date trees

Again like diamonds shining upon the Milky Way

Those under the sky like a tarp

My stars on my crown

 Diamond tiara rare

My brilliant rainbow coat of many colours

And bright blue boat yonder the sea

I sail upon

To reach upon a magic lagoon of the desert

In midst of an oasis"

Where his many black begums

Glistening with glee

Shine on his date palm trees

Called Dates of kismet

Like black Koh-I-Noor's

That he cradles

Tenderly in his arms lovingly

Removes his many wrinkles, crumples and creases

As he grows older 

And they younger

A funny date with a kismet tree!

 

That ended her spic escapade

With the funny Genie Twerp

Half human and half a carp

Then Fair Princess Jasmine

Reached upon his cherubic wing

Back in the enchanted garden

Of Prince Aladdin 

Whence settled the magic genie

Half human and half carp

Back in his wooden cello lantern

That played like a golden harp

Upon an enchanted tree 

Of Prince Aladdin's secret garden

Anon fair Princess Jasmine

Told him the beautiful story

Of Sultan Ahmad and the many begums

On his charming Date Palm Trees

Named Kismet Stars 

It's stunning fortress "Arecaceae!"