We discussed Nizar Qabbani in a previous entry, presenting two of his poems dealing with words and their power. As we had said in that entry, the main theme of most of his poems is love and woman. He said, ‘‘They ask me: why do you write about the woman? And I answer with the utmost innocence and simplicity: And why do I not write about her?’’(Nizār Qabbānī, Qiṣṣati maal-Shir, p.166).
The poem below is entitled "A Brief Love Letter", and as you will see, even though brief, it is sensual and engaging.
رسالة حب صغيرة
| حبيبتي ، لدي شيءٌ كثير.. | أقوله ، لدي شيءٌ كثير .. |
| من أين ؟ يا غاليتي أبتدي | و كل ما فيك.. أميرٌ.. أمير |
| يا أنت يا جاعلةً أحرفي | مما بها شرانقاً للحرير |
| هذي أغاني و هذا أنا | يضمنا هذا الكتاب الصغير |
| غداً .. إذا قلبت أوراقه | و اشتاق مصباحٌ و غنى سرير.. |
| واخضوضرت من شوقها، أحرفٌ | و أوشكت فواصلٌ أن تطير |
| فلا تقولي : يا لهذا الفتى | أخبر عني المنحنى و الغدير |
| و اللوز .. و التوليب حتى أنا | تسير بي الدنيا إذا ما أسير |
| و قال ما قال فلا نجمةٌ | إلا عليها من عبيري عبير |
| غداً .. يراني الناس في شعره | فماً نبيذياً، و شعراً قصير |
| دعي حكايا الناس.. لن تصبحي | كبيرةً .. إلا بحبي الكبير |
| ماذا تصير الأرض لو لم نكن | لو لم تكن عيناك... ماذا تصير ؟ |
A Brief Love Letter
My darling, I have much to say
Where o precious one shall I begin ?
All that is in you is princely
O you who makes of my words through their meaning
Cocoons of silk
These are my songs and this is me
This short book contains us
Tomorrow when I return its pages
A lamp will lament
A bed will sing
Its letters from longing will turn green
Its commas be on the verge of flight
Do not say: why did this youth
Speak of me to the winding road and the stream
The almond tree and the tulip
So that the world escorts me wherever I go ?
Why did he sing these songs ?
Now there is no star
That is not perfumed with my fragrance
Tomorrow people will see me in his verse
A mouth the taste of wine, close-cropped hair
Ignore what people say
You will be great only through my great love
What would the world have been if we had not been
If your eyes had not been, what would the world have been?
I wish your students also go through your posts because there is so much of historical and literary info here…
ReplyDeleteThanks! I do hope readers enjoy the contents :)
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