on the way to my lover

 Romantic Arabic poem

poem’s name: on the way to my lover 

(في الطريق إلى حبيبتي)

Poet's name: Mohammed Hamasa Abdel Latif

(محمد حماسة عبد اللطيف)

date of writing the poem :  1 July 1965 

 → listen to the poem

*****

الدرب طويل.. وأنا وحدي فوق الدرب إليك أسير 

The road is long... and I am walking on it to you alone

والليل مدى.. وأنا أعتصر الليل رؤى.. أنفاس عبير 

And the night is a horizon.. and I squeeze the night making it like dreams.. and breezes of fragrance

أستروح فيها من ألمي.. من كدحي.. والأفق هجير

I get rest from my pain.. from my tiredness.. and the horizon is empty

فأرى عينيك الباسمتين.. الوادعتين كقلب صغير 

Then, I see your smiling and charming eyes like a small heart

بينما يبحر زورق أحلامي.. غيمان الشطآن.. غرير 

When my soft boat of my dreams is sailing.. from windy beaches.. 

وأنا الملاح.. وأحبالي – فوق الخدين – سدول حرير

And I am the sailor.. and my ropes, above the cheeks, are covers of silk 

أتعلق فيها.. أهرب من ألمي.. وأظل.. أظل قرير 

I am clinging to them.. Escaping from my pain.. and I remain satisfied

****

في واحة أحلام خضراء.. في أمل بالقلب ينير

In an oasis of green dreams.. in a hope in the heart that enlightens

حتى تدمي قدمي أشواك الدرب النابح كالمسعور

Until my feet bleed from the thorns of the barking and mad road 

والدرب طويل.. وأنا وحدي فوق الدرب إليك أسير

And the road is long... and I am walking on it to you alone

تخفق.. تخفق في جنبي كلما دق الأبواب أسير

It beats and beats inside me whenever the doors are knocked by a prisoner 

تحلم بالعش الجذلان على غصن بالحب نضير

It dreams of a happy life above a greenish branch with love

نحيا فيه عصفورين.. يضمهما في الليل سرير

We live on it like two birds that are embraced at night by a bed.

وأنا أجمع قش العش الموعود على جزر النور

And I collect the promised straw of the nest on the islands of light

القش قليل.. لكن الحب في قلب العصفور كثير

The straw is little.. But love inside the heart of the bird is big.

والحب يدفئ ما يعرى.. إن طار الريش عن العصفور

And love warms what has been uncovered if the straw flies away from the bird

هل ترضين الحب مهادا.. ولعل مهاد الحب وثير !

Are you satisfied with love as a cradle…and may the cradle of love be soft 

إن أنت رضيت الحب، فإن الدرب إلى عينيك قصير

If you accept love, the road to your eyes will be short

:An explanation of this piece from the arabic poems 

This poem is an attempt from the poet, Mohammed Hamasat, to escape from his pain with love, he admits the difficulties in his way: “And the road is long... and I am walking on it to you alone”, but he has no way to struggle in his life except consisting on love. This meaning is quite obvious here: “The straw is little.. But love inside the heart of the bird is big”.

 The poet finds the secret solution to his problems in making his lover satisfied and happy. If he succeeds in this the road will be short and the little food will be enough. Even his tiredness will disappear. The poet succeeds to express this poetic image of the two birds that are in love well. 

The poet repeats some meanings, but the general idea of the poem is clear. There are some nice expressions like: “In an oasis of green dreams” and “And love warms what has been uncovered”. The ability of the poet to describe his feeling is developing through the poem. It's a classic romantic poem that deserves to be read and discussed.