The King & The Prince

by Ruhudeen Ali
July 25th, 2004


Oh singers! You who claim that you speak to the hearts! Hear your King and gather around me for His Majesty shall need your assistance. You have talent for speaking from your hearts and the depths of your souls, so I will need you for a task; that you may sing me a song - telling the tale of this one's heart.... This I ask of you all, for his is a tale of sorrow and grief. His is a tale of riches; a tale of poverty.... He is the Prince, and without him my kingdom is lost, for I have no other heir. I need you to rescue him with your song, for by God he will not respond to anything else! My words are of no avail to him, nor are his to me. With each moment that passes, with each heart beat, he awaits your song of redemption to ease his longing to be understood. In my foolishness, I was not able to understand him, but your song will convey to me his grief and true message.


Now hear me, I bid you to go to him. With him are the troops you will need on your task. With these, could you muster up such a thing? Who among you has such talent? Now then, I tell you go see his tears, which will travel down-stream and moisten your words. Go and feel his heart-throbs which will lend rhythm to your words. Go and witness his pain which will give more power to your words. Whereby with these, you shall be able to sing his heart's pain to all. Is this army not enough to support you on your task? Oh, what song is there that can sing the sorrow of this sad Prince?


You must accomplish this task, for I fear that if he is not awoken, our kingdom will be in utter ruin. He, my beloved son, in whom I entrusted the kingdom's daily affairs. He, my beloved son, who strengthened this one and his kingdom and brought honor to it. He, my beloved son, for whom I was doing all. He, my beloved son, to whom I promised so many things. My beloved son, who I neglected and because of my neglect, he suffers me and I him. I now weep for him, and he for me.


I tell you, truly this was not my kingdom from the start, but it was his. My son, although I thought myself wiser, was wiser than His Majesty. I governed my people with firm command, reason, and justice, but he had pity, compassion, and empathy for all in the kingdom. All this time, His Majesty thought he guarded his kingdom well, but failed to realize his kingdom was actually his own son! Oh woe is me! How often does one brush-off that which is closest to him!? How often is one blinded by what he takes for granted!?


So my loyal subjects, I beg you hear the plea of your King and save your Prince! For this I tell you my story, and request thy aid in the restoration of this kingdom of ours, for I address you all, that this kingdom lies in the Prince's heart. If that is not cured by your song, then all is for naught. But if, By God, you succeed you will help the Prince and His Majesty resume our harmony and govern the kingdom with peace once again. Until you accomplish this task, the kingdom must needs suffer and she must be patient, for I can not do the job myself nor can my son on his own, but that we work together. So, go my faithful people! Go and awaken the Prince's heart so that the heart of this kingdom will be restored and peace restored throughout our lands!