My Passion and the Essence of Love
From the poems of Abu Nuwas on love:
Indeed, I have fallen in love, is there any shame in love?
Nobody has encountered a passion like this before me.
What do I care for the people and their foolishness,
My faith is for myself, and the faith of others belongs to them.
As for my adversaries, when I visit my beloved,
It seems that their faces are coated with envy.
Only God knows my reason for visiting you,
Except for the fear of my enemies and my guards.
If we could meet, I would seek you out,
Either running on foot or walking on my head.
I’ve read a book from your pages,
God only has mercy for those who show mercy to others.
The Heart Recalls the Memory of Umm Zayd
From the amorous verses of Omar Ibn Abi Rabi’ah:
The heart recalls the memory of Umm Zayd,
And the mounts are steady upon the hills.
Then the heart goes wild with longing,
And sorrow stirs for your captivating heart.
Here in the thicket of the Acacia tree, under Taboq,
We linger, and the eve unfolds like a tapestry.
And from Amman a phantom of her glided,
I said: Greetings to this longing form!
She departed me yet approached with a promise,
And my yearning for her led to my seclusion.
Yet I find solace with lovely maidens,
Unfurling their beauty within reach of the joys.
I resided upon comforts, and the pillow became my guide,
Soft as a newly painted hand with henna.
Then we rise when the dawn reveals itself,
And we erase our traces in the dust.
I Have Longed to See You in Your Bloom
From the romantic poetry of Ibn Zaydun:
I have thought of you, longing for you dearly,
While the sky is serene, and the earth is a sight to behold.
And the breeze seems to tremble in its embrace,
As if it whispers softly, stirring my affection.
The garden smiles, with its silvery waters,
As you have parted the flowers with your grace.
Days, like wonderful memories, have slipped away,
While we remained when time seemed to steal away.
We delight in all that captivates the eye with blossoms,
Where the dew plays upon their stems, making them bow.
As if their eyes, when gazing, became misty,
Wept for my state, cascading tears upon my cheeks.
A rose shines forth from its garden bed,
And the dawn glows in its reflection, lighting the eyes.
The winds sweep through, mingling with fragrant lilies,
Awakening from slumber, behold the dawn’s freshness.
All are stirred by the memories that evoke our desires,
And my heart can no longer contain its yearning.
May God not still a heart that recalls your essence,
Which has not taken flight amidst the wings of longing.
If only the breeze of morning had brought me to you,
It would have revealed a youth wearied from waiting.
If wishes were granted, in our gathering,
It would have been the noblest of days, filled with virtue.
O precious jewel beloved to my soul,
Whenever beloveds gather, pathways open wide!
Now, I praise what we were during your absence,
And even though you have forgotten, we remain lovers!
Poems of Nostalgic Love
From the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish regarding love:
-1-
From the ruins, love has emerged,
And our faces shimmer upon the sand.
As the summer winds blow,
We unroll the handkerchiefs slowly, gently.
And we fade away along with two songs, like prisoners,
We dodge the falling dewdrops.
Come to my thoughts, oh sister!
In the late night,
You strip me of colors and shadows,
And shelter me from disgrace!
In your eyes, oh ancient moon,
I feel my roots pulled
Into a blue slumber
Under the sun and the palms,
Far from the darkness of exile,
Close to the warmth of my family.
-2-
I have longed for childhood through you.
Since the birds of spring flew away,
The trees shed their leaves,
And your voice was like no other,
Coming from wells sometimes,
And sometimes drenching me with rain.
Pure, just like fire,
Like trees, like poetry cascades.
Come to me!
In your eyes, there was something I desired,
I was eagerly waiting,
And pull me close to your arms,
Hold me as a captive,
Forgive me for desiring you.
I have longed for childhood through you,
Since the birds have flown away.
The trees have shed their leaves!
-3-
And we cross the road,
Bound, like prisoners,
My hands, I know not whether mine or yours,
Embrace pain from the other side.
Neither released, as is the custom,
From my heart or yours…
A recollection like a pathway,
Just like everyone else,
If we glanced over,
No longing
No remorse
No animosity,
And we immerse in the hustle,
To fetch our little things.
Yet we have left for our night
No ashes to remember the embers.
And something in my veins
Calls me
To drink of your hand that torments the memory.
-4-
Once a star fell,
Walking on our fingertips,
And did not tire.
And when I sipped from your lips
The juice of the mulberry,
It came forth and drank from me.
When I wrote about your eyes,
Everything I write becomes droplets.
And we shared, among us,
Our cups and our coffee;
When you departed…
It didn’t leave.
Perhaps I became forgotten,
Like a cloud in the wind,
Descending into the west…
But when I try to forget you…
A star lands on my hand.
-5-
To you, glory,
Soaring in my imagination
From your echo…
The prison, the chain,
I see you, leaning
Upon a saddle,
A mare galloping.
I sense you in cold nights,
A sun
In my veins singing,
I name you childhood,
The breast rises before me,
I name you spring,
So the herbs and flowers bloom.
I name you sky,
So the rains and thunder resound.
To you, glory,
For there is no edge to my joy in confusion;
And there is no promise to my rendezvous.
To you… glory.
-6-
And we realized it was evening,
As the sun
Combed her hair in the sea,
And the last kiss docked
On my eyes like burning ember.
_Take the winds from me
And kiss me
For the last time in life.
…And dawn approached me,
As the sun
Combed her hair in the east;
With henna and songs,
And a ticket to the palace of servitude.
_Take the songs from me
And remember me…
Like a lightning flash.
And evening caught up with me,
As the bells rang for the procession of the beautiful captive,
And my heart, cold as diamonds,
And my dreams, crates upon the quay.
_Take spring from me
And bid me farewell…
My Heart is in Youthful Confusion
From the poems of Omar Ibn Abi Rabi’ah on love:
My heart is lost in youthful confusion,
And it has dulled from my youth.
It has led me to a love for her,
While my heart remains unaltered.
I said, when the tears overflowed,
Like rain cascading from a sky.
If today I am deserted by Hind,
After tenderness and closeness shared,
The path of people leads them,
To oblivion and departure.