If I were told: By evening you will die.
So what will you do until then?
I would look at my wristwatch,
I’d drink a glass of juice
bite an apple,
contemplate at length an ant that has found it’s food,
Then look at my wristwatch.
There’d be time left to shave my beard
and dive in a bath, obsess:
“There must be an adornment for writing,
so let it be a blue garment.”
I’d sit until noon alive at my desk
but wouldn’t see the trace of color in the words,
white, white, white …
I’d prepare my last lunch
pour wine in two glasses: One for me
and one for the one who will come without appointment,
then I’d take a nap between two dreams.
But my snoring would wake me …
so I’d look at my wristwatch:
and there’d be time for reading.
I’d read a chapter in Dante and half of a mu’allaqah
and see how my life goes from me
to the others, but I wouldn’t ask who
would fill what’s missing in it.
That’s it, then?
That’s it, that’s it.
Then what?
Then I’d comb my hair and throw away the poem …
this poem, in the trash,
and put the latest fashion in Italian shirts,
parade myself in an entourage of Spanish violins,
and walk to the grave!
- Mahmoud Darwish, a Palestinian, is one of the most prominent poets writing in Arabic today. Fady Joudah is a physician, a poet and the translator of The Butterfly’s Burden, which compiles three full volumes of the Darwish’s recent works.
Filed under: art, Fadi Joudah, Mahmoud Darwish, Poem, Poetry, Thought Provoking
Two things
first: the font alil small , or just me who think so ??
2nd: i cant added u to my feed reader , it keep take ur blogspot account !! any idea !! or google reader get crazy ?!!
Qabbani: Thanks for letting me know, I fixed the font and I don’t know what’s going on with the feeder I will look into it but I think google might be going crazy because blogspot is a google blog
ph wow 7aki.. that was amazing …. really amazing!
one of my shortcomings is that I rarely read arabic poetry and its sad because you know of all the great poets out there like Mahmoud Darwish.
yeah now it’s Great
about feed , i really dont know i unsubscribe the old and added to new , and same it give me you blogspot feeds ..
hmm , i have to fix it
thanks any way
Nice, I love it… translate more!
Maioush: It’s amazing isn’t it. I didn’t know that he had translated work.
Hamza: Check out the link for his translated work. Mind you I am sure it’s even more magical in Arabic I think I am going to buy this book.
Qabbani: You are welcome.
KJ: I wish It was me who translated this but it’s not, check out the link for Fady Joudah he appears to be an amazing writer/poet too.
7aki, this is a great great poemi… I LOVE Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry … It’s soul stirring… and his poetry readings bring every single letter of ever single word alive… I admire him!
Iman: Isn’t it amazing! Kind of makes you feel that death is natural, inevitable and to be taken lightly and the day you die is like any other day you’ve lived.
Mahoumd Darweesh is very talented
hey i have an exam on this poem tomorrow. could someone help me out with the poetic analysis of this poem please