The Parrotfish and me
In 1993 I went fishing in a large yacht with friends near a Qatari island called Halool, 80 km northeast of the city of Doha. I went down in a small boat for a freediving adventure near the shore, carrying a fishing arrow with me. It ended in an unintentional killing of a beautiful Parrotfish. It is called “Gain” in local Arabic. I felt sorry for hitting that fish. I carried it back to the yacht for photography. While I was looking at it I wrote a poem about it. I cannot translate it into English as real poetry, but I will try to translate the meaning.
In Halool sea, I went diving alone,
Next to a mighty large stone.
I was so amused to see,
Many beautiful creatures under the sea.
It was like a sea garden, a paradise in a heavenly place,
For sea creatures, not for the human race.
Near a rock, a beautiful “Gain” could be seen,
Wearing a colorful dress, like a young queen,
Heading toward my arrow, swimming with grace,
She was like a beautiful creature from outer space.
In greens, she was dressed,
And jewelry shone on her chest;
Her eye was like a clear pearl, without shade,
Surrounded by green and red jade.
With the movement of her tail, she dances,
Like a young lady with romances.
Suddenly my arrow took off in a burst,
And landed in her green chest.
I cried with sorrow that took my breath,
For her accidental cruel death.
I never wanted to inflict pain,
On that beautiful Gain.
Because my heart is soft and tender,
I was never fit to be a hunter.
My deep and strong sorrow,
Forced me to break the arrow.
From such fishing, I decided to abstain,
I never went fishing in that place again.