Live Encounters Poetry & Writing Volume Six November-December 2024.
Arab Poets & Writers
Depth, poem by Abdel Wahab Al-Melaweh.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
Depth
The gardens that stay awake at night disturb no one
The sea is not as deep as you might think
And the sky that rises is not, in turn, higher
Days do not follow one another
Sometimes they falter in completing
Their circle and twist around themselves
A little recklessness will suffice
To stop life from lying,
And the trees shed their leaves
In defiance of the supposed justice of the seasons
Woodstock was not merely a sensual celebration
Or promotional posters to generalize the benefits of chaos
In an era of collective suicide
How astonishing it was to bear the ecstasy
Of the universe on the wings of butterflies!
And the apple contradicts Newton’s final prayer
It is not about Ginsberg’s howl or Kerouac’s road
Or Kubrick’s apple
For the flower could no longer bear its fragrance
Trapped in the archive of the future
The trees were adept at mixing rock with blues
As for the air, it has abandoned its neutrality
And has become less shy
It was necessary
To break the chains of time
And invent a feeling deeper than the sea
Higher than the sky
And quieter than the gardens
It was necessary for music without rhythm
Crying without tears, joy without laughter
Dancing without drums, longing without sadness
That is depth.
© Abdel Wahab Al-Melaweh
Abdel Wahab Al-Melaweh (1961) is a Tunisian poet, translator, and novelist who has published more than ten poetry collections, two novels, and several critical studies.
Salwa Gouda is an Egyptian literary translator, critic, and academic at the English Language and Literature Department at Ain-Shams University. She holds a PhD in English literature and criticism. She received her education at Ain-Shams University and California State University in San Bernardino. Furthermore, she has published several academic books, including Lectures in English Poetry and
Introduction to Modern Literary Criticism, and others. She has also contributed to the translation of “The Arab Encyclopedia for Pioneers,” which includes poets, philosophers, historians, and men of letters, under the supervision of UNESCO. Also, her translated poetry anthology, entitled Dogs Pass Through My Fingers, was published recently through Alien Buddha Press in Arizona, USA. Additionally, her literary translations have been published in various international magazines.