Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Fatima Naoot

Blind

All of a sudden she could see
After 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

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 .
Close

Blind

All of a sudden she could see
After 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

Blind

All of a sudden she could see
After 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
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
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