Live Encounters Arab Poetry & Writing 16th Anniversary Volume Five
November- December 2025
In Another Time, poems by Azmi Abdel Wahab.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
A Man with No Memory
What happened
Is that I loved you
Without wanting to.
What happened
Is that we met
Without wanting to.
What happened
Is that we embraced
Without wanting to.
What happened
Is that I remember you now
Without wanting to.
What happened
Is that you poured our days together
Onto the marble of your body,
And no trace of them remained.
What happens now
Is that I’ve woken up as a man with no memory
Who shares my clothes.
What happens now
that we are parting
Without wanting to.
In Another Time
We could have met
In another time
On school benches, perhaps
Without either of us noticing the other.
We could have met
In the narrow aisle of a bus
Without me giving up my seat for you.
We could have met
in a train station
without me knowing your destination, or you knowing mine.
We could have met
In a tedious lecture
Without me paying attention to your mischief
With your friends
At the back of the amphitheater
Or sympathizing with you when the teacher kicked you out.
We could have met
In a fast-food restaurant
Or a public garden
Without my notice being drawn
By the boredom you distribute to the prying eyes
Behind the glass
Without you looking into the eyes of a man
Who lectures you about his rights and your duties
(He seems to be your husband).
We could have met
On the brink of forty,
For you to realize
That I was that man
Who sat beside you
On the school bench, on the bus, in the train station
In the university amphitheater, the public garden
And the fast-food restaurant
Without ever once
Catching your attention.
© Azmi Abdel Wahab
Azmi Abdel Wahab is a distinguished Egyptian poet and journalist. The author of eight poetry collections, his work has been featured extensively in major Egyptian and Arab publications. His poetry’s international appeal is demonstrated by its translation into several languages, including English, French, and Persian. An active participant in literary conferences across the Arab world, Abdel Wahab has been honored with numerous awards from Egyptian cultural institutions.
Dr Salwa Gouda is an accomplished Egyptian literary translator, critic, and academic affiliated with the English Language and Literature Department at Ain Shams University. Holding a PhD in English literature and criticism, Dr. Gouda pursued her education at both Ain Shams University and California State University, San Bernardino. She has authored several academic works, including Lectures in English Poetry and Introduction to Modern Literary Criticism, among others. Dr. Gouda also played a significant role in translating The Arab Encyclopedia for Pioneers, a comprehensive project featuring poets, philosophers, historians, and literary figures, conducted under the auspices of UNESCO. Recently, her poetry translations have been featured in a poetry anthology published by Alien Buddha Press in Arizona, USA. Her work has also appeared in numerous international literary magazines, further solidifying her contributions to the field of literary translation and criticism.