The Coromandel Fishers

Rise, brothers, rise; the wakening skies pray to the morning light,
The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night.
Come, let us gather our nets from the shore and set our catamarans free,
To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the kings of the sea!

No longer delay, let us hasten away in the track of the sea gull’s call,
The sea is our mother, the cloud is our brother, the waves are our comrades all.
What though we toss at the fall of the sun where the hand of the sea-god drives?
He who holds the storm by the hair, will hide in his breast our lives.

Sweet is the shade of the cocoanut glade, and the scent of the mango grove,
And sweet are the sands at the full o’ the moon with the sound of the voices we love;
But sweeter, O brothers, the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild foam’s glee;
Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge, where the low sky mates with the sea.

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About the Poet: Sarojini Naidu 👩‍🎤

Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949), often called “The Nightingale of India,” was a major figure in both Indian poetry and the country’s freedom movement. She was known for her lyrical and imaginative poetry that often blended beautiful natural imagery with themes of patriotism and social change. As a political activist, she was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and became the first female president of the Indian National Congress. Her work, including “Coromandel Fishers,” often uses everyday life as a metaphor for the larger struggle for India’s independence.

Introduction to the Poem 📝

“Coromandel Fishers” is a powerful poem by Sarojini Naidu that celebrates the lives of fishermen on the Coromandel Coast of India. While it vividly describes their daily routine of going out to sea, the poem is also an allegory for the Indian people’s fight for freedom from British rule. Naidu uses the fishermen’s courage and their deep connection to the sea to inspire a nation to be brave and pursue its destiny.

Stanza-by-Stanza Summary

Stanza 1: A Call to Action

The first stanza acts as a wake-up call. The leader of the fishermen urges his companions to rise at dawn and prepare to set sail. He tells them to follow the “sea gull’s call,” which can be seen as a symbol of their true calling or the call to freedom. The stanza sets an energetic and hopeful tone for their journey.

Stanza 2: Deep Connection to Nature

This stanza highlights the fishermen’s profound relationship with the natural world. They do not see the sea as a dangerous place but as their home and family. The poem personifies the sea as their mother, the clouds as their brother, and the waves as their comrades. This perspective shows their bravery and lack of fear in facing the ocean’s challenges.

Stanza 3: Choosing Freedom Over Comfort

In the final stanza, the leader delivers the poem’s core message. He tells his men not to be tempted by the comforts of the shore, symbolized by the “coconut glade.” He argues that true value and reward lie in the journey into the heart of the sea—a metaphor for the pursuit of freedom. This is a final, powerful plea for people to choose the path of liberty and dignity, even if it is difficult, rather than remaining in comfortable but oppressed lives.