Live Encounters Poetry & Writing Volume Six November-December 2024.
Arab Poets & Writers
Lady of Travel, poem by Ahmed Hussein Humaidan.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
Lady of Travel
You depart
O queen
And the kohl of the poem
In your eyes
Moans from abandonment
And the rejection of exile
So who
Can pull the warmth of your heart
From my day
And sing for the killing of the rose of love
Who
Pushes my blood
Into the veins of the grave
While I
Am the traveler from you
To you
I came to you
With the boats of longing
Carrying what remains of me
So the departure precedes me
To my eyes
With the colors of mirage
And the winds of yearning overpower my sails
So your hands take them
And you travel towards the shores of the sea
Songs follow you
And I depart
Between the banks of the dream
Enveloped by wishes
The rope of night surprised me
Hanging before sunset
Tighten the sun of your eyes from me
So where will you remove the clouds?
Guide me
Where can I meet you
Perhaps
I can present the offerings of love
Perhaps
I can see the rose of your face
Guide me
So I can read in you my prayer
And grant
The book of departure my greeting
And something of my story
And a chapter from my conclusion
And take off
My sails upon you
For your hands to fold them
You
My queen
Lady of travel.
© Ahmed Hussein Humaidan
Ahmed Hussein Humaidan (1958) is a Syrian poet, literary critic, and short story writer. He was born in Aleppo and has many poetic and critical publications. He also won the United Arab Emirates Writer’s Union Award in short story in two consecutive sessions (1999–2000).
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.