Iraqi Poetry
Iraqi poetry is renowned for its depth and the genuine emotions it encapsulates. It serves as a powerful medium for poets to convey their inner feelings. In this article, we present a collection of poignant Iraqi poems that reflect sorrow and longing.
My Soul Suffering
My soul suffers while you are with me, yet I remain a mere shell.
When I look for you, I find no one else; you were my first love, and now you are my last.
You embody love, and you are the kindest creature.
Is it possible for a dove to be so cruel?
Indeed, there is no beauty like yours; I am well aware of that.
Your captivating appearance surpasses anything.
Please don’t be upset; you, my dear, are the beacon of my life.
I come to apologize, even though I have wronged you not.
Why do you frown?
You are precious to me, as everything I hold dear resides in you.
And now, your love has become priceless.
I feel you are unlike anyone else.
In my eyes, you climb towards the stars!
Yet I see your tears, which seem to fall as gold.
Your tears irrigate my life’s garden, nourished by your presence.
I am content with everything you offer; everything becomes easy.
I come to you, feeling like a void, reaching out for others.
But your love fills my heart, guiding my thoughts.
With you, I forget my soul; I lose myself in your embrace.
When I glimpse you, I bow in reverence.
Whispers have no place in our fate; I would rather perish than hurt you.
You are simply beautiful, so be kind to me.
Sad Mourning Poem
I wish to announce my mourning for a love that has faded, and I want to forget you and the distance you have created between us.
I do not want you anymore, even if you are my soul; I seek to forget you amidst this pain.
Salt tears have settled in my eyes, and even sleep eludes me, fearing your ghost visits me in dreams.
If my eyes catch sight of you, rejoice in your beauty, I will deny it, for it is not my vision.
And if I touch your hand while pretending to be indifferent, may my two hands fall away from my sides.
When they tell me your love runs through my veins, I swear by the heavens, I would sever every vessel.
If you were the sun, I would prefer to remain in darkness, so let me be shrouded in shadows.
Remember when I longed for you, parched and pleading for your presence?
I squeezed my eyes dry and tasted my tears, and you knew I was longing for you.
When thirst struck me, you were my life-giving water, and I perceived you as tender.
Yet you treated me with disdain, and with such insolence, you turned my loving gaze away from me.
You cast your oil upon my fire, yet it provokes me, and I find no solace.
I have become a captive of your disdain, you who can sell me away at your leisure.
I will remain your antagonist, even beyond your death, entwined with your memory.
Where Are You?
Where are you?
I have forsaken my life in your absence.
I have abandoned the path that leads to you.
I have left behind a world that your eyes do not govern.
Where are you?
You are the joy of my days and nights.
You are the warmth of my heartbeat and whispers.
With each heartbeat, my longing intensifies.
Every moment becomes an echo of my yearning.
It smolders with the intensity of my eyes. Where are you?!!
I learned to love beneath your hold.
I studied the essence of passion by my own choosing.
You may wish not to love me, but I desire you to be my sanctuary.
I need you to forgive me when I upset my pride.
Before I can apologize.
And I need you to understand that should you leave me,
I will be desperate enough to contemplate destruction…!
If I desired to distance myself, I could not endure.
And if I wanted to part from you, my heart would leap.
To those who say I have forsaken you, tell them:
My heart is ablaze with love for you.
And tell them that through my affection,
I stand tall at the cusp of twilight.
And further declare that I have anchored in your sea of love,
My heart drowned above the oars of passion.
Not Dead Yet
Not gone, indeed; I always see you, and I hope for your return.
Don’t forsake me, dear father; don’t hasten away as if you wish to escape our painful separation.
With each hour, I grip my pen, seeking to inscribe the difficulty of this longing.
Countless memories cling to the pages with cherished tales awaiting reunion.
We read through your diary until my eyes tire, and our photo album prompts nostalgia.
I watch the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of you and your companions.
As I wait, my vigil continues, standing by the door, my eyes watering in longing.
How can I forget? Time is relentless; it washes away all in its flow.
I Feel Changed
I feel transformed, and the world feels distant.
My heart is weary from being oppressed.
Like a cloud of sorrow, it rains fiery tears upon me.
And I live in flames while the tears erupt.
Every day replays like a forgotten film.
Yesterday’s and tomorrow’s shadows mimic each other.
Time weaves a lullaby that should soothe but only aggravates,
And each fleeting moment further reveals my agony.
I once shared laughter and stories with this and that person,
But it seems I’ve met only pain and injustice.
For a day, I soared on a single wing of joy,
But now joy returns me with one wing broken.
I lost my luck; once I was fortunate,
Even in matters of love, I never found light.
Oh, my heart, how much you’ve endured with me.
I feel as if my heart mourns over its own fracture.
How Can I Endure?
Your absence, my beloved, how can I endure the pain?
It’s like a state of despair when I am left to cope without you.
I have healed my wounds, yet they resist closure.
As I travel, my heart gathers fresh scars.
I will never forget you, even after countless years.
Whenever you return, my heart remains unbarred.
I feel your presence in the distance,
Never foreseeing that a day will come when you might leave me.
True, I have granted you everything you desired,
But in this separation, limits were set against me.
You are my essence, and how will I live if you depart?
How could I wish to exist without your company?
I long for you even when you are near.
When you roam, I lie awake until dawn.
And should the stars above bear witness,
I would die in your absence.
For my love for you fills my very soul.
Thus, when you travel, please reserve a place for two,
For there is no fraction of me left that does not journey with you.
And no matter how far you stray, allow your heartism to stay with you;
For I sense that without you, my spirit shall bleed profusely.
What remains to my life devoid of your presence?
Just sorrow and pain and memories of wounds.
I still see your outline whenever I close my eyes;
Even if I beg my eyes to forget, they refuse to let go.
I wish to hold you even in farewell,
Solely because parting feels like my soul’s departure.
For I cherish you knowing full well the turmoil that comes with loving you,
I embrace my fate, hoping you recognize my longing.
I want to spend my life by your side,
For you, in your absence, have truly hurt me.
My eyes can no longer behold you; they strain and search for eternity,
For you, my beloved, are the joy of my years.
Come closer, let me hold you near, my dear.