poem’s name: I was a child
(كنت طفلًا)
Poet’s name: Abdul Azim Naji
(عبد العظيم ناجي)
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كنت طفلًا شاحبًا، بل كنت إحساسًا خجولًا كالسماء
I was a pale child. no, I was a shy feeling, as the sky.
أعشق الأشياء عشق الفكرة العذراء للعقل الذي يبدعها
I love things the way the pure idea loves the mind that creates it.
أعشق الأشياء عشق البذرة العذراء للكف التي تزرعها
I love things the way the pure seed loves the palm that plants it.
أعشق الأشياء عشق الصدف المنسوج في ثوب البحار للجنين اللؤلؤي
I adore things the way the shells in the sailor’s clothes love the pearl fetus.
وأحب الليل والشعر.. غناء القمر المرتحل.. الأشجار والأصداف
And I like the night and the poetry.. the singing of the the traveling moon.. the trees and the shells.
أحب الليالي الناعمة
I like the soft nights.
وأحب الترهات
I like the nonsense.
زهرة البابونج الصفراء
The yellow chamomile flower.
صوت البجع الناحل
The thin voice of the pelicans
عين الحلزون المرهفة
The delicate eye of the snail
*****
كنت طفلا.. غير أني كنت إحساسًا بدائيًا خجولًا
I was a child, but more like a primitive shy feeling.
كنت طفلًا.. غير أني كنت إيمانًا رماديًا نحيلًا
I was a child, but more like a grey, thin belief.
كنت طفلا.. غير أني صرت فجأة نبيًا ميتًا
I was a child, but I suddenly became a dead prophet.
في المساء الحزين
In the sad night
حين يأتي الخريف ويسقط كالطل صوت الجنون
When autumn comes and the madness’s voice drops like a ruin
حين ينهمر الموت مثل الرذاذ على أسطح العالم الخزفية
When death pours like spray on the world's pottery surfaces.
حين تسقط من شجرة التفاح زهرة الاشتهاء الخرافي
When the flower of the unreal desire drops from the apple tree
أذكر وجهي الطفولي القديم.... فأبكي
I remember my old childish face, so I cry.
*****
An explanation of this piece from Arabic poems:
This poem belongs to the modern Arabic school of poetry. It requires some attention to understand it. The poet Mohammed Ayish Al-Quti expresses his experience of childhood very well. He talks about things he loves and his feelings during that period. About his beautiful lost past when things were pure and happy. There are a lot of creative expressions: “I like the nonsense.”, “I suddenly became a dead prophet”, “and the madness’s voice drops like a ruin”.” When the flower of the unreal desire drops from the apple tree” and several other poetic images.
It‘s clear that everyone has his own unique relationship with his childhood. This relationship is created slowly by nostalgia and yearning for those warm days. The poet expresses his relationship perfectly, maybe from a sad point of view. His sadness reaches its peak in the end of the poem:” I remember my old childish face, so I cry”. This perception makes this poem really special. The poet has a strong and unique style of writing with a lot of sense of love. This poem deserves to be read and read once more.
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