Live Encounters Poetry & Writing July 2024
Some time ago, poem by Abdel-Hakam Al-Allami.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
Some time ago
Listen!
Since you arrived here
You are stuck
Dealing with
The game of time:
It slowly wears you down
Steals your joy
Disturbs your peace
And plucks away
Your cherished moments:
One by one
Leaving you
In this state:
A mere memory
Unnoticed by the weeping
Unfolding beyond
The boundaries of companionship
Leaving nothing
But deserted farewells
Left behind by mourners
And remnants of memories
Awaited by the birds
While the crows circle above!
Perhaps you need another perspective
To break free from this standstill
But…
I am here for you
For both times:
The one you’re trapped in
And the one you seek
They are essentially
One and the same!
How could a time you thought
Was divided into two:
One against you
And the other
For you
Split in such a way?
Certainly not
You’ll remain in this limbo
Between your illusions
And the stark reality
Until the last moment arrives!
So, take it easy
And I will grant you:
Adornment
And brilliance
And magnificence!
And for you, beyond
The toils!
© Abdel-Hakam Al-Allami
Abdel-Hakam Al-Allami (1962) is an Egyptian poet and critic who holds a doctorate in Arabic literature. He has published several collections of poetry and critical studies. Additionally, he is a winner of the Writers’ Union Award in Literary Criticism and a member and founder of many literary circles.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda. She 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.