Live Encounters Poetry & Writing March 2024.
In the presence of poetry, poem by Ahmed Swelam.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
In the presence of poetry
Here, I am dreaming like a child
In my right hand, is my lamp at night
And in my left hand are my hidden longings
My eyes line up around me
The beauty of the universe
I only listen to Hazard, who reveals love
And sang in nostalgia
I pick the rose and give it to the one I love
It quenches my eagerness and longing
In the best poems.
Here, I am dreaming like a child
No storm can stop me
And age does not surprise me
With what the years hide
Perhaps people bombard me
With madness
But my steps will not slow down
And what always shines brightly in my heart
Will not lose tomorrow since there is certainty!
© Ahmed Swelam
Ahmed Swelam (1942) is a famous Egyptian writer and poet who has published more than 14 poetry collections. He also published four poetic plays and several critical works. In addition, he won several major national and international awards.
Dr. 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. 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 and their poetry, philosophers, historians, and men of letters, under the supervision of UNESCO. Additionally, her poetry translations have been published in various international magazines.