Long ago, in the silent expanse of the Qatari desert, where the wind whispered over the dunes and the stars guided wandering travellers, there lived a young hunter named Suhail. His skill with a bow was unmatched, but his pride was greater than his talent. Among the Bedouins, he was known for boasting that no target was too distant for his arrow, not even the moon itself.
Each night, as he gazed upon the glowing moon suspended in the heavens, Suhail would lift his bow and declare, “One day, I will strike you with my arrow, and all will know my greatness.” His companions warned him to speak humbly, for the desert spirits and the moon did not look kindly upon arrogance. But Suhail’s heart swelled with pride, and he dismissed their words as the mutterings of envy.
One evening, as the desert cooled and silence wrapped the dunes, the Moon heard Suhail’s boast echo through the still air. She was angered by his arrogance and decided to humble him. The Moon turned to her seven radiant daughters, the Banāt Na’sh, the bright stars who followed her in the northern sky, and commanded them, “Go down to Earth and teach this mortal the folly of pride.”
Under the shimmering night, the daughters descended from the heavens, their light forming a glowing path across the desert. Suhail awoke to find the air heavy with silver light and seven figures before him, luminous and beautiful beyond words.
“Hunter of Earth,” said the eldest, her voice like wind over water, “you boast that your arrows can reach the moon. If your claim is true, strike the highest star among us, and one of the Daughters of Na’sh shall be yours.”
Suhail, filled with both awe and defiance, grasped his bow. The challenge was too grand for his pride to refuse. He notched his arrow and drew it tight, the string singing softly in the night air. His first arrow soared high, but it fell short, landing upon the sand. The daughters laughed gently, their light flickering like ripples on the sea.
He shot again and again, his arrows vanishing into the darkness, but none reached their mark. Exhausted and breathless, Suhail fell to his knees. The stars above glimmered, and the daughters watched in silence as his arrogance melted into humility.
Finally, Suhail bowed his head. “Forgive me,” he said, his voice trembling. “My pride was greater than my wisdom. I thought myself above the sky, yet I am but dust beneath it.”
The eldest daughter stepped forward and smiled. “You have learned the lesson the moon wished you to know,” she said softly. “The stars shine brightest for those who see them with humble hearts.”
At that, the Moon herself appeared above them, radiant and serene. “Suhail,” she said, “your pride once blinded you, but humility has opened your eyes. As a reminder of your lesson, I shall raise you to the heavens as the star Suhail, to shine forever in the southern sky. My daughters, the Banāt Na’sh, shall remain in the north. Though you will see each other from afar, you will never meet again. So shall it be, pride and humility forever apart, yet bound by light.”
And so, from that night on, Suhail’s bright star appeared in the southern horizon, glowing with a gentle golden light, while the seven Daughters of Na’sh shimmered in the northern sky. Bedouins still look up and tell their children this tale, of how a proud hunter learned that the stars favour the humble heart.
Moral Lesson
Pride blinds the heart and clouds the mind, but humility brings wisdom, peace, and eternal light.
Knowledge Check
1. Who is Suhail in this Qatari folktale?
Suhail is a proud hunter whose arrogance leads him to challenge the moon.
2. What are the Banāt Na’sh?
They are the Moon’s seven radiant daughters, represented as stars in the northern sky.
3. What does the story explain in Qatari folklore?
It explains the origin and naming of the stars Suhail (Canopus) and Banāt Na’sh.
4. What moral does Suhail’s story teach?
That pride leads to downfall, but humility brings enlightenment and forgiveness.
5. Why did the Moon forgive Suhail?
Because he admitted his fault and humbled himself before her daughters.
6. Where can Suhail’s star be seen today?
In the southern sky, shining apart from the Daughters of Na’sh in the north.
Source: Adapted from the Qatari folktale “Suhail and the Daughters of Na’sh” in Hazawy: Qatari Folklore Series, Qatar Museums; also retold in Enduring Tales: The Qatari Oral Tradition.
Cultural Origin: Qatar (Bedouin Sky Lore – Gulf Arab Folklore)
