Qaraar
The old mariner
looks at the Pole Star.
There is an ache in his soul,
all is kasak
for what time forsook.
A light flutter
from the masthead pennant
whispers:
Qaraar.
Not far now.
Just follow the star.
โLesley Scoble, October 2026
Audio โ Qaraar
W3 PROMPT I wrote Qaraar in response to Destinyโs prompt as Poet of the Week for W3 Poetry Prompt #232, where poets were challenged to write a poem of 12 lines or fewer using selected Urdu poetic words. I chose Kasak and Qaraar, and thoroughly enjoyed discovering the richness of their meanings. I hope I have done them justice in my poem. To learn more about this fascinating prompt, please click below.
Destinyโs prompt: Words that feel like an experience
Some words hold a whole experience within them. This week, use one or more of these Urdu words to tell a story through poetry:
- Kasak (ฺฉุณฺฉ)
Pronunciation: โkuh-sukโ ยท IPA: /kษ.sษk/
A lingering acheโsomething that stays with you long after a moment has passed. - Qaraar (ูุฑุงุฑ)
Pronunciation: โkuh-RAARโ ยท IPA: /qษ.ษพษหษพ/
A quiet sense of peaceโsomething that steadies you and helps you feel settled. - Ghuttan (ฺฏฺพูนู)
Pronunciation: โghoot-unโ ยท IPA: /ษกสฑส.สษn/
An unspoken feeling of suffocationโas though something inside you has no room to breathe.
The English pronunciation guides are approximate: the โooโ in โghootโ sounds like the โooโ in โfoot,โ and its โgโ has a soft breath behind it. The โqโ in Qaraar is like a โkโ made farther back in the throat.
These simple meanings are starting points. If youโd like to explore further, search for the words alongside โUrdu poetic meanings.โ Or let your own feelings and experiences guide youโno research needed!
Poetry form: Your choice, in 12 lines or fewer.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Enormous thanks to Destiny for her wonderful prompt and for introducing me to these beautiful Urdu poetic words.
My deepest thanks to David Bogomolny, our gracious host, for his constant warmth and encouragement.
And last, but by no means least, my thanks to you, the reader, for spending a little time with me.
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