Loading ...The Man Who Visited Death- A Poem by Samih Al-Qasim
By Luke McMahan/ Arab America Contributing Writer
Luke McMahan has been a student of Arabic for two and a half years; and all throughout this time he has been told how wonderful Arabic poetry is. But because not many translations exist online of anything but the most famous poems, he had to wait to progress in his language ability to begin to interact with these works. In this article, he can confidently translate some of these poems; and hopes he can give non-Arabic speakers a chance to read them as well. Though not fluent or a professional translator; he hopes to maintain as much of their lyricism, ambiguity, and beautiful imagery as possible. Presented here is “The Man Who Visited Death,” a poem by Samih Al-Qasim.
“The Man Who Visited Death” – Samih Al-Qasim
الرجل الذي زار الموت – سميح القاسم
Leave the slain, shrouded in his own clothes
خلّوا القتيل مكفّنا بثيابه
Leave him… at the bottom of the mountain that knows him so well
خلوه… في السفح الخبير بما به
Do not bury him with wounds upon his lips
لا تدفنوه وفي شفاه جراحه
echoing the will of his love and torment
تدوي وصيّة حبه وعذابه
Do you hear?
هل تسمعون؟
Leave him, he’s an eagle, bleeding
دعوه نسرا داميا
between the rocks, far from his loved ones
بين الصخور يغيب عن أجابه
Leave him, beneath the sun that embraces his face
خلوه، تحت الشمس، تحضن وجهه
A wind, perfumed by the land of his youth
ريح مطيّبة بأرض شبابه
Do not close his eyes! Rays
لا تغمضوا عينيه! إنّ أشعة
of red linger on his eyelashes
!حمراء ما زالت على أهدابه
And on the yellow plains, his plea echoed:
:وعلى السهول الصفر، رجع ندائه
Oh, those consumed by death… I do not care
!يا آبها بالموت… لست بآبه
Take me to my house…
…خذني إلى بيتي
Rest my cheek on its doorstep
أرح خدي على أعتابه
So I may kiss the handle of its door
وأبوس مقبض بابه
Take me to Karam (generosity?), for I would die of agony
خذني إلى كرم، أموت ملوّعا
if my eyes don’t get the pleasure of seeing him/it
ما لم أكحّل؟ ناظري بترابه!
Leave the slain, his grave is marked
خلو القتيل على ثراه محدّدا
He bled, his hand piercing into the soil
نزف الدماء، وغزّ في الطين اليدا
They deprived him of seedlings, so he brought forth one
حرموه أغراسا، فعاد بغرسة
from his bleeding flesh… and welcomed death
من لحمه الدامي… ورحّب بالردى
Who was this?
من كان؟
They passed through the ruins of an abandoned village
مرّوا في خرائب قرية
You found his name in an echo
مهجورة تجدوا له اسما في الصدى
Who was this?
من كان؟
The eye recalls a sense of comfort
حور العين يذكر راحة
etched deeply, an eternal carving in the trunks
حفرت ووشما في الجذوع مؤبدا
To whom did he whisper it?
ولمن سراه؟
Ask his monument over there
سلوا هنالك نصبة
Cried from languish: I sacrifice for you… I am the sacrifice!
!سقمت فصاح: أنا فداك… أنا الفدى
The tentmaker stared at the dust… inadmissibly
حدج الخيام الغبر… غير مسلم
And stared for his daughter’s sake without smiling
ورنا لطفلته، ولم يتبسّم
A black cloud grew weary in his eyebrows…
وتململت في حاجبيه سحابة
born from his grim history
سوداء… من تاريخه المتجهم
Poisoned sweat dripped, etching
وتفصّد العرق المسمّم، حافرا
the features of an approaching eagle on his face
في وجهه قسمات نسر مقدم
“I’m coming!”
!آت أنا
His steps dragged
وتقحّمت خطواته
A path paved with skulls and blood
دربا تعبّد بالجماجم والدم
“I’m coming!”
!آت أنا
So he prepared himself for the meeting
فتهيّأي للقائه
Oh, paradise trampled by hell!
!يا جنّة مدغومة بجهنم
Who is that?
منذا؟
And guns poured out their grudges
وأمطرت البنادق حقدها
The naked chest was torn for tomorrow
وتمزّق الصدر المعرّى للغد
Who is that?
منذا؟
And the mountain embraced a leaning leg
وضمّ السفح ساقا تنحني
Weak … crying: Oh sister hang in there
!منخوبة… وتصيح: يا أخت اصمدي
The slain prostrated… with a jubilant face
:سجد القتيل… ووجهه متهلّل
My homeland! For none other than you… have I bowed in prostration
وطني! لغيرك أنت… لا، لم أسجد
His right hand touched a boulder’s forehead
وتلمست يمناه جبهة صخرة
Alarmed by him, so he said: I visited you. So bear witness!
!هلعت عليه، فقال: زرتك فاشدي
Images crowded his memory
وتزاحمت صور وراء جبينه
Blurry images…that fade and then return
صور مغبشة… تضيع وتهتدي
Sand…
…رمل
Tents…
…خيام
Half a dead face…
…نصف وجه ميت
My father, come!
!يابا، تعال
A rustle of a black thawb
حفيف ثوب أسود
Corpses,
،جثث
And a screaming child in its womb
وطفل صارخ في رحمه
They killed my father! They killed him at the hour of my birth!
!قتلوا أبي! قتلوه ساعة مولدي
The light fades… and the features disappear
الضوء يغرب… والملامح تنطفي
As the mountain collapses in the strained rope
والسفح يهوي في المسدى المتلبّد
An echo, drenched in blood, calls out:
:وصدى نداء، بالدماء مبلّل
Oh those behind me! Don’t betray my promise!
!يا من ورائي! لا تخونوا موعدي
These are my arteries…
…هذي شراييني
Take them, and weave
خذوها، وانسجوا
From them a glimpse of hope of our rebellious progeny!
!منها بيارق نسلنا المتمّرد
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