A Ship called Jewel

In the Land of Frankincense, not so long ago,

 A Sultan had a dream that he could not forego.

“This dream,” thought the Sultan, as he sipped his kahwah,

“Is so wonderful, it must be fulfilled, Inshallah!”

The Sultan summoned his Ministers without delay

They hastened to the palace to hear what he had to say.

“As a gift of friendship to the people of the East,

Let us build a ship, without delay, to say the least!”


The Ministers sent for the shipbuilders and the crew, 

They said, "Tell us about this ship, the idea is so new."

When the Sultan informed them about his dream,

They were so excited they wanted to scream.

A shipbuilder suggested as his beard he scratched,

“A ship without nails or pegs? That will be hard to match!”

A sailor remarked as he touched his chin that was rough,

“A ship with no compass! Sailing that may be tough.”

“A new ship built using ancient ways?” a Minister prodded.

The wise Sultan smiled, clapped his hands, and nodded.

In faraway seas a wreck was found of a similar ship

To study this structure, sailors were sent on a trip.

The sailors were trained to use the stars for directions,

Without a compass they used stars for projections.

A small model ship was the first thing they constructed

 Then a search for the right materials was conducted.

On a beach, near Muscat, a wonderful place they chose

To build the ship, store the wood, for soon the awnings arose.

Huge trees were felled in the forests of Ghana

The planks sewn together in a very strange manner.

Each plank sewn tightly to the other with coconut fiber

The hull coated with paste of dried limes and oil from shark’s liver!

While the shipbuilders were toiling and hard at work

A storm raged overhead and the shipyard’s canopy broke.

Ever resilient, strong, and inspired by their Sultan,

They rebuilt and erected it under the burning sun.

When the dream ship was finally completed at last,

the Jewel of Muscat, everyone agreed, was first class!

The people of Oman danced, sang, and cheered,

As the sound of pipes and bass drums were heard.

When the dream ship set sail and the cameras rolled,

The whole world saw the Jewel’s journey unfold.

This historic voyage will be recorded in history,

As the Jewel uncovers the past and removes the mystery.


The large canvas sails that fluttered in the breeze, 

Helped to guide the ship with gentle grace and ease.

It was, at times, a difficult but very rewarding journey,

For the crew had to battle waves and oceans stormy.

Each sunrise and sunset were some of nature’s wonders,

While the crew crossed off the days on their calendars.

They sailed the ship with its daily hustle and bustle,

Afraid that a big ship might bump their small vessel.

Dried fish, rice, vegetables, and fruit was the daily dish,

But if they were lucky, they would eat some fresh fish!

Sometimes they got sea sick, thought of home, and felt lonely.

The ship rocked to cradle them gently, and then it felt homely.

They lived together like brothers as they sailed across the oceans

Though they came from many different cultures, ports and nations.

Sixty-eight long days they lived and worked at sea

To fulfill the extraordinary dream of His Majesty.

First in India’s famous port the ship’s anchor dropped

Then in scenic Sri Lanka was the next stop.

Malaysia was the third stop on the map

But Singapore was a real feather in the cap.

In Malaysia, an English lady never left home -  she was so old,

But came out especially to visit the Jewel we were told.

The Sultan was proud of his people and the ship.

To Singapore he gifted her when the Jewel completed her trip.

It is housed in a special museum for all to see

Jewel of Muscat – a ship that remade history!

 Words: 

frankincense -  a tree famous for its gum resin

kahweh - tea

inshallah - god-willing


(An original story in verse by Aashoo. Inspired by the voyage of the Jewel of Muscat. Protected by Copyright, 2014)

History: 

The Jewel of Muscat is a ship modeled on the design of an ancient Arabian dhow. It was built near Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman. The construction had begun in October 2008 and it had set sail from Oman on 16, February 2010. It arrived in Singapore on 3, July, 2010, after visiting the ports in India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. It is presently housed in a museum in the Sentosa resort in Singapore.