BARAKAT

The hymn of the rain 

This piece is a love offering —
a visual hymn to the mother goddess.

It draws inspiration from the iconic modern Arabic poem
“The Hymn of the Rain” (Unshūdat al-Maṭar) by Badr Shakir al-Sayyab,
and blends it with ancient Mesopotamian symbolism —
especially the star of Ishtar, the goddess of love, war, and fertility.

At its heart lies the eight-pointed star,
a symbol of Ishtar, radiant and eternal —
surrounded by repeating words for “moon” (قمر / qamar)
and “rain” (مطر / maṭar) —
echoes from السياب’s verses and from the longing of the earth itself.

Through this blending of poetry and symbol,
the artwork becomes a bridge:
between the modern soul of Iraqi poetry
and the ancient spirit of Mesopotamia.

A tribute to the feminine,
to longing, to water,
to memory —
and to the moonlit rain that falls on us all.

From the Poem:

“The Hymn of the Rain” – Badr Shakir al-Sayyab

Your eyes are palm tree groves at dawn’s first breath,
or two balconies the moon withdraws from.
When they smile — vineyards blossom,
and lights begin to dance like moons upon a river,
lightly stirred by an oar in the hush before sunrise —
as if stars pulse deep within them.

To Listen:
You can hear it beautifully sung in Arabic by Rim Banna-The hymn of the rain

Barakat