Poem
Fatima Naoot
Blind
All of a sudden she could seeAfter an intricate operation performed in a hurry
More in line with committing criminal poetry
A long time she had listened to dozens of books
Her empty eyes
Staring upwards
But
When she danced with Lama
On the hillside,
He told her that the soul can transcend earthly life
If freed from the retina.
She was illiterate
The pain on her face
While in trance
Spoilt the text
The pen bent
Before completing the story.
No way of return, now
Knowledge is coming
And ignorance is
A lost paradise
Therefore,
The thought of a drained memory
Stayed with her
Whenever her eye tried to see.
Silently
She poured out two shadows standing
In a breathless, dark hall,
Prepared for tea,
At the end of the show.
Two shadows,
One a lighting technician
And the other
Did his utmost to read
But
Utterly stunned
Could not complete the lesson.
Reading does not require eyes
So much was certain
When she suddenly regained sight
But did not find books
© Translation: 2007, Kees Nijland
Publisher: First published on PIW, , 2008
Publisher: First published on PIW, , 2008
المشاءون
المشاءون
التي أبصرتْ فجأةً
بعد جراحةٍ مرتبكةٍ تمَّتْ على عجلٍ
يناسبُ ارتكابَ الشِّعرِ
في صورتِهِ المحرَّمةْ.
عهدٌ طويلٌ مع الشخوصِ إلى الأعلى
بأحداقٍ فارغة،
سمعتْ خلالها عشراتِ الكُتبِ
لكنَّها
حين راقصتْ "لاما"
عندَ سَفْحِ الهضبةِ،
علَّمها أن صعودَ الرُّوحِ
مرهونٌ بانفصالِها الشَّبكيِّ.
أُميَّةٌ إذن
لأن الألمَ المرسومَ على ملامحِها
لحظةَ الإعلاءِ الجسديّ
أفسدَ النصَّ
فانثنى القلمُ
قبل اكتمالِ الحكاية.
لا سبيلَ للرجوعِ الآن
المعرفةُ في اتِّجاهِها
والجهلُ
فردوسٌ غائب.
لذا
تظلُّ الفكرةُ تُطِلُّ برأسِها
محضَ ذاكرةٍ جافةٍ
كلما راودَها البصرُ.
تسكبُ ظلَّينِ واقفيْن
في عتمةِ ردهةٍ مبهورةِ الأنفاسِ
صامتةْ
كانت تستعدُّ للشاي
عند انتهاءِ المشهدْ .
ظلاَّنِ
أحدُهما يمارسُ مهنةَ التنويرِ
والآخرُ
يجتهدُ أن يقرأَ
لكن
تَحُولُ دهشتةُ العميقةُ
دون اكتمالِ الدرسِ.
القراءةُ لا تحتاجُ إلى عينين
هذا ما تأكَّد لها
حين أبصرتْ فجأةً
ولم تجدْ كتابًا .
بعد جراحةٍ مرتبكةٍ تمَّتْ على عجلٍ
يناسبُ ارتكابَ الشِّعرِ
في صورتِهِ المحرَّمةْ.
عهدٌ طويلٌ مع الشخوصِ إلى الأعلى
بأحداقٍ فارغة،
سمعتْ خلالها عشراتِ الكُتبِ
لكنَّها
حين راقصتْ "لاما"
عندَ سَفْحِ الهضبةِ،
علَّمها أن صعودَ الرُّوحِ
مرهونٌ بانفصالِها الشَّبكيِّ.
أُميَّةٌ إذن
لأن الألمَ المرسومَ على ملامحِها
لحظةَ الإعلاءِ الجسديّ
أفسدَ النصَّ
فانثنى القلمُ
قبل اكتمالِ الحكاية.
لا سبيلَ للرجوعِ الآن
المعرفةُ في اتِّجاهِها
والجهلُ
فردوسٌ غائب.
لذا
تظلُّ الفكرةُ تُطِلُّ برأسِها
محضَ ذاكرةٍ جافةٍ
كلما راودَها البصرُ.
تسكبُ ظلَّينِ واقفيْن
في عتمةِ ردهةٍ مبهورةِ الأنفاسِ
صامتةْ
كانت تستعدُّ للشاي
عند انتهاءِ المشهدْ .
ظلاَّنِ
أحدُهما يمارسُ مهنةَ التنويرِ
والآخرُ
يجتهدُ أن يقرأَ
لكن
تَحُولُ دهشتةُ العميقةُ
دون اكتمالِ الدرسِ.
القراءةُ لا تحتاجُ إلى عينين
هذا ما تأكَّد لها
حين أبصرتْ فجأةً
ولم تجدْ كتابًا .
From: A Longitudinal Section in the Memory
Publisher: The General Egyptian Book Organisation, Cairo
Publisher: The General Egyptian Book Organisation, Cairo
Poems
Poems of Fatima Naoot
Close
Blind
All of a sudden she could seeAfter an intricate operation performed in a hurry
More in line with committing criminal poetry
A long time she had listened to dozens of books
Her empty eyes
Staring upwards
But
When she danced with Lama
On the hillside,
He told her that the soul can transcend earthly life
If freed from the retina.
She was illiterate
The pain on her face
While in trance
Spoilt the text
The pen bent
Before completing the story.
No way of return, now
Knowledge is coming
And ignorance is
A lost paradise
Therefore,
The thought of a drained memory
Stayed with her
Whenever her eye tried to see.
Silently
She poured out two shadows standing
In a breathless, dark hall,
Prepared for tea,
At the end of the show.
Two shadows,
One a lighting technician
And the other
Did his utmost to read
But
Utterly stunned
Could not complete the lesson.
Reading does not require eyes
So much was certain
When she suddenly regained sight
But did not find books
© 2007, Kees Nijland
From: A Longitudinal Section in the Memory
Publisher: 2008, First published on PIW, Cairo
From: A Longitudinal Section in the Memory
Publisher: 2008, First published on PIW, Cairo
Blind
All of a sudden she could seeAfter an intricate operation performed in a hurry
More in line with committing criminal poetry
A long time she had listened to dozens of books
Her empty eyes
Staring upwards
But
When she danced with Lama
On the hillside,
He told her that the soul can transcend earthly life
If freed from the retina.
She was illiterate
The pain on her face
While in trance
Spoilt the text
The pen bent
Before completing the story.
No way of return, now
Knowledge is coming
And ignorance is
A lost paradise
Therefore,
The thought of a drained memory
Stayed with her
Whenever her eye tried to see.
Silently
She poured out two shadows standing
In a breathless, dark hall,
Prepared for tea,
At the end of the show.
Two shadows,
One a lighting technician
And the other
Did his utmost to read
But
Utterly stunned
Could not complete the lesson.
Reading does not require eyes
So much was certain
When she suddenly regained sight
But did not find books
© 2007, Kees Nijland
Publisher: 2008, First published on PIW,
Publisher: 2008, First published on PIW,
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