The Red Fortress: A Sonnet
(The Arabic carvings ‘La Gholib illAllah’ meaning ‘there is no Conquerer but Allah’. These carvings span most of the walls and ceilings of Al-Hambra Castle, from minute to large sized calligraphy. It amazed me so much that I was so inspired to write a poem on it.)
In Andalusia it stands with such magnificence,
For so many years; more than a thousand,
But not in the grandeur of its existence
Do I look in awe; also not of Ferdinand
And Isabel; but in the so fine architecture
Carved centuries before, in its walls and ceilings,
So fine, so great, so powerful the Arabic literature,
“There is no Conquerer but Allah”, God of all beings.
It is a blend of greatness in humbleness and dignity
Of the mighty Umayyads who conquered Spain
Not for power nor wealth, but to share the beauty
And perfection of Islam, as the way to live sane.
Yet today, it still stands, never lost its fame,
‘Al-Hambra’ – Arabic for red – its so renowned name.
