The Enigma of the Sea
- As expressed by Al-Mutanabbi:
The sea is veiled by oceans surrounding it,
People criticize it, yet praise him.
O water, do you envy our springs,
Or do you long to see its companion?
Or have you sought wealth from his right?
Have you visited him to increase his flock?
Or have you come to fortify his stronghold?
The steeds and the blades suffice him,
O Lord, there’s a gulf that has made his ship,
And the solitary meadow has fulfilled its support,
While madness consumes its frenzy,
And the intoxication of the cup has amplified its ringing,
Transforming his melody into a lament.
And, with a tiger, it broke into his den,
While a king lowered himself before him.
He leads it gently, soothing his lids,
Directly overseeing his affairs,
Honoring his wounds with a swift thrust.
A sea where all seas become his letter,
A sun that wishes to exist like him.
If you call, O sword, to aid him,
He will respond before you complete your plea.
He has empowered himself against his foes,
For whoever among them protects their soul and belief.
When Fate Slumbers
- As penned by Farouk Goida:
I returned to remember our promises in spring,
Days we crafted into fragrant blossoms.
And the dreamy melodies enchanted in their magic,
Time intoxicated by their wine, made fate slumber.
The night gathers its garments in the morning,
And the yearning tune embraces the string.
How sweet life was in its clarity,
Days spent close to you were the best of my life.
I prayed to God like a lover would,
That life nor people may separate us.
They said that God forgives love’s transgressions,
All sins, yet does not pardon betrayal.
Now I find myself reminiscing our vows,
Who has betrayed us, who has forsaken?!
I find your heart like winter when it clears,
It will return to stir the birds and the trees.
Once, I endured separation with indifference,
What must I do? Tell me… is it sleeplessness?!
I returned to recall our vows in the spring,
I asked March, why do you return without blossoms?
I gazed upon the night of denial, shocked,
The night fractures the darkness with the hand of the moon.
The lost melodies paused,
Above the breeze and closed the eyes of the string.
As if the vow of love were a cloud,
Expecting rainfall through the years.
If someone betrayed us, believe me,
I still question where your heart is… did it betray?
Ask him if you find a moment alone,
How does spring now assassinate the trees?!
On Resilience
- As articulated by Mahmoud Darwish:
If the olive tree could recall its planter,
There would be tears in the oil!
O wisdom of the ancestors,
If we could provide you with armor from our flesh.
Yet the gentle wind,
Does not bestow the servants of the wind with crops.
We will uproot the thorns and sorrows,
Forever refusing to bear our shame and cross,
While the universe moves on…
We shall remain within the lush green of olives,
Forming a shield around the earth.
We love the roses,
Yet our love for the grains is stronger.
We savored the aroma of roses,
But the ears of grain are purer.
Defend your ears from the tempests,
With chests firm against the storm.
Bring forth the barriers from the heart…
From within, how can it break?
Grasp the ear of grain,
Like it embraced a dagger,
Earth, farmer, and resolve.
Tell me: How can you conquer…
These three manifestations?
How can you prevail?
Your eyes, my old friend, my youthful companion,
Are beggars in the night of suffocating corners,
No hope smiles in them, nor does the storm sleep.
Nothing remains with us… but drowning tears.
Tell me: When will you laugh again, even if insincere?
Enough, my friend, two hungry wolves,
Consume the remnants of our blood, followed by a deluge.
And if you weep once, do not abandon the body,
And if you then tire, you have the worms.
We crafted a mistake… in the oblivion of time,
And you, my old friend… my youthful companion,
Be among our ruins, like fragrant lilies.
The wilderness, my friend, keeps the secrets tightly,
And the trees surrounding us do not flee with news.
The sun at our door clouds the light,
Disguised yet cannot cross the barriers.
Life behind us is strange and deceitful,
Hence, build your magnificent abode upon our bones.
I Once Had a Heart!
- As described by Ahmed Abdel-Moaty Hejaz:
On the mirror, there is some dust,
And on the worn-out bedding, scents of slumber,
And a lamp… a tiny flame,
And the room’s features,
Look as they did on the night of the first kiss.
Even the dress, even the dress,
And I was at the edge of the bed,
And you could see in my eyes a tale… once unknown,
And you smiled with kindness.
It was a farewell,
Gathering the night in my expression,
And weaving the vast gloom in my silence
And in my voice.
I uttered… farewell,
And I swear, I was not sincere.
It was deception.
But I had read a tale of a love-struck poet,
Humiliated by his beloved, who said… farewell!
Yet you believed.
On the mirror, there is some dust,
And on the worn-out bedding, scents of slumber,
And a lamp… a tiny flame,
All the room’s features,
Look as they did on the night of the first kiss.
Even the dress, even the dress,
And I was at the edge of the bed,
And you could see in my eyes a tale… once unknown,
And you smiled with kindness.
It was a farewell,
Gathering the night in my expression,
And weaving the vast gloom in my silence
And in my voice.
I uttered… farewell,
And I swear, I was not sincere.
It was deception.
Yet I had read a tale of a love-struck poet,
Humiliated by his beloved, who said… farewell!
But you believed.