love in April

 Romantic poem

Poem’s name: love in April 

(الحب في إبريل)

Poet’s name: Bahij Ismail

(بهيج إسماعيل) 

Date of writing the poem: 1 May 1983 

   listen to the poem

*****

سحابة بيضاء تحجب القمر 

A white cloud that covers the moon

والزهر ما يزال 

And the flowers are still

يراقص الرياح والشجر 

Dancing with the wind and the tree

وحارة ريح الخماسين التي  تهب قوية فيها عواطف الصحراء 

And how warm and strong this Khamasin wind that is blowing. it has the emotions of the desert

وفي الحضر 

And in the city life

إبريل شهر الحب والكذب 

April is the month of love and lying

أو هكذا يشاع 

That is what is rumored

قالت وفي عيونها التماعة الشعاع 

She said and in her eyes the shine of the beam

لا تقترب 

Don’t get close

وظل حيث أنت 

And stay where you are

****

قال المحب 

The lover said: 

لكنني أعود بالرحيق والمطر 

But I come back with nectar and rain

أعود بالحياة.. للضفاف

I come back with life to the banks

محملا.. بالخصب والنماء 

I am loaded with fertility and growth

قالت : 

she said

بل التعب

It’s tiredness that I am loaded with

أضنتك أنت شقة السفر 

You got tired due to the misery of travel

أما أنا في بداية الرحيل كنت أنتظر 

But I was waiting at the beginning of the departure

وحين طال الوقت

And when the wait lasts so long

مات الجنين في مخيم الجفاف والسهر 

The fetus has died in the camp of dehydration and wakefulness 

وعاد لي قلبي الذي ذهب 

And my heart came back to me

قال الفتى الظمآن للعناق 

 The boy who is thirsty for the embrace said

وحارة رياح الخماسين التي تهب 

And how hot the Khamasin wind that is blowing

لكنني أعود بالآمال من جديد

But I come back again with the hopes 

بالحب.. بالأحلام.. بالأشواق 

With love... Dreams… Longings

قالت وفي عيونها شراسة الوعيد 

She said and in her eyes the aggressiveness of the threat

لا تقترب 

Don’t get close

ولا تدنس لحظة الفراق 

And don’t defile the moment of departure

لا تقترب وظل حيث أنت 

Don’t get close and stay where you are

قال الفتى المفتون بالشباب.. والقمر 

The young man who is fascinated by youth and moon 

وطامعا في أن يذوق لذة الثمر

and hopes to taste the pleasure of the fruits 

لكنني أعود بالجواد مطهما 

He said but I come back with the beautiful horse

وبالحرير ناعما 

And with silk that becomes smooth

وبالحنين ساهرا.. على ضوء الشموع 

And with sleepless longing… in the light of candles

وبالرداء

And with the dress

قالت وفوق وجنتيها زفة الدماء 

She said and on her cheeks the wedding of the blood

أعدت حقا بالرداء؟

Do you really come back with the dress?

بل عدت أيضا بالقمر؟

Oh, you also come back with the moon!

ثم اقترب 

And then, he got closer

يصالح الشفاه 

He brings the lips together

يعتذر

And apologies

قال القمر وقد أطل يرسل الشعاع : 

The rising moon, sending the beam, and said

إبريل شهر الحب والكذب.. والصخب 

April is the month of love, lying… and noise

An explanation of this piece from the arabic poems :

This is a poem about love with some words of the Arabic lands culture like: “Khamasin wind”, “the beautiful horse” and “the pleasure of the fruits”. There are some unsuitable poetic images like: “the wedding of the blood”, “the camp of dehydration and wakefulness”. There are fluent ones:” in her eyes the shine of the beam” and “I am loaded with fertility and growth”.

 the poet, Bahij Ismail, succeeds to express love in the month of April quite well, he uses this contrast between the purity of love and the deceit of April to explain his ideas in an inspirational way.  


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