Saadi Youssef (b.1934) is an Iraqi author and poet. He left Iraq in 1979 and now lives in London. You can find out more about him by reading the interview on his website. Below is a video of Youssef reciting this beautiful poem.
امرأة
كيف أنقلُ خَطوي لها الآنَ ؟
في أيّ أرضٍ أراها ؟
وأيَّ الشوارعِ أسألُ ؟
أيَّ الـمُدُنْ ؟
ولو اني اهتديتُ إلى بيتِها ( لأقُلْ جدلاً )
هل سأضغطُ زرّاً على الباب؟
كيف أردُّ الجواب ؟
وكيف أحَدِّقُ في وجهها ؟
كيف ألـمُسُ ذاكَ النبيذَ المرقرَقَ بين الأصابعِ ؟
كيف سأُلقي التحيةَ ؟
أُلقي عذابَ السنين...
................
.................
.................
مرّةً
قبلَ عشرين عاماً
في القطارِ الـمُكيَّفِ
قبّلتُها الليلَ كلَّــهْ !
How will I drag my feet to her now? In which land will I see her and on which street of what city should I ask about her? – and if I find her house (Let’s suppose I do) will I ring the bell? How should I answer? And how will I stare at her face as I touch the light wine seeping between her fingers How should I say hello . . . and how will I take the pain of all these years? Once – twenty years ago – in an air-conditioned train I kissed her all night through . . . Translation by the poet (taken from his website) |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment