Live Encounters Poetry & Writing August 2025
Grateful and More, poem by Ahmed A’id.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
Grateful and More
I am grateful for things, whatever they may be,
For everything has a reason,
Even if hidden from me.
I let events pass like breaths,
What has passed, I bid farewell with utmost patience,
And say: “So little remains,
Shall I waste it in vain sorrow?!”
I sweep well, sprinkle rosewater
On the thresholds, spread my laughter
At the door, celebrating what comes,
As if I’ve gained nothing to lose.
My hands are open and wide,
As if I were just created,
Unaware of what unfolds.
I am grateful for things, whatever they may be,
Grateful… I don’t impose my terms,
But expand my thought
Regarding my gift.
I make space
For it to arrive as it pleases.
I train myself in the pain of contentment,
For contentment is my eternal treasure.
I am grateful for things, whatever they may be,
I don’t close the window… I open it
All my life… a bird will come,
A breeze, hope, a song…
And if nothing comes, I suffice
With light and lamps…
I don’t forget the losses;
They are my victory delayed once or twice,
And an extra lesson with me.
I am grateful for things,
Whatever they may be,
Even if they don’t come to me.
© Ahmed A’id
Ahmed A’id (born December 19, 1988) is an acclaimed Egyptian poet whose distinguished career includes prestigious national awards. His significant literary output features poetry collections including Green Ash, The Recluse, Time, As Water Describes the Gazelle, I Sip My Coffee… I Rave, Seven Blue Words, That Is My Kingdom, Light and Lethal, A Shadow Guarding Oblivion, and I Don’t See Things as They Are.
Translated by Dr. Salwa Gouda, who 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.