Live Encounters Poetry & Writing August 2025
Poem of the Dead, poems by Mohammad Al-Domaini.
Translated from Arabic by Dr. Salwa Gouda.
Poem of the Dead
Ever since the herds of goats
I inherited from my father,
I’ve been weaving conspiracies
and chasing forgotten tricks
just to speak of the dead
those we abandon
at the last scrape of our hoes.
Those passionate about cracking life’s shell,
despairing of a precious life
they leave to madmen
wading through these wastes
crowded with graves and the resentful.
They all die,
shrouded in regret for leaving the days they had left
to stray cats
that lie surrendered
to the drowsiness of the evening sun.
Lift with your sunburnt arms
this gaunt corpse
lightened by labor,
the company of animals,
and feet stumbling against rocks.
Lift his body high
so its sins scatter on the black earth.
Cleanse him
with the morning rain.
There was a heavy cloud
blending into his beard,
and a faint rustling
clashing between his feet.
Lift him
to see the fig bushes from above
singing his final song.
Lift from his chest
your nocturnal whispers,
and shroud him in the stars that helped him endure time.
Plant beside him the surplus of his many days.
He worked
while they lifted the dirt from his skull.
He was abundant,
and forgot to grow old.
Whims
The Goalkeeper
He prays often,
clasping supplication between his hands,
And tracing crosses on his chest—
twice, three times
aware the cameras
record his prayers
and carry them to his mother’s heart.
The keeper, custodian of empty time,
when he strides to midfield,
he banishes his solitude
from the triangle of fire
and casts it
among the hooves of frenzied horses.
He is the diamond defense line,
and kisses will rain upon him
for blocking a sudden goal,
and because his brief moment of work
will save his team from ruin.
Only the keeper
possesses surplus time for contemplation,
and perhaps to retrieve his prayers.
But the unjust goal
will come
sometimes in the early minute
because the streaking ball
disregards empty time
and mothers’ prayers.
© Mohammad al-Domaini
Mohammad al-Domaini is a Saudi poet and writer. He served as an editor for the Cultural Literary Review published by the Al-Yaum daily newspaper and was later appointed editor of Dareen, a cultural quarterly published in Dammam. In 2010, he became Editor-in-Chief of al-Qafilah (The Caravan), the cultural magazine produced by Saudi Aramco. Four collections of his poetry have been published: The Ruins of Joy (1989), Ears On A Slope (1994), Days Saved by Nobody (2014), and A Bird Missed By Shots (2025). Several of his poems have been translated into English, French, German, and Spanish.
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.