Nizar Qabbani’s “Balqis”: Translation into English with an introduction.

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of the translation against a political background, without which it will be difficult tofully grasp the mortifying criticism the poet directs to the Arab nation.

According to Lefevere and Bassnett (1990), the study of translation practices hasmoved on from a formalist approach and turned instead to the larger issues of context, history and convention... What translation means has to be established incertain context. Contextulization of translation brings first culture and then politicsand power into the picture. (Tianmin)

I. Balqis and translation theories

No matter how good our translations were, they would never conform to certainliterary expectations of the audience, a problem that may be operativeregardless of the originating and receiving cultures. (Gentzler, 1993: xii)

The above quotation stresses a never complete satisfaction about the translated text. Intranslating a text, especially a poem, the translator is caught between two fires: how todecide what changes can be warranted by regard for the target language audience andwhat has to be preserved in order not to produce a completely new piece of discourse.

(Thorsell, 1998: 27) Moreover, the translated texts themselves cannot be producedaccording to strictly preset rules because the translated text seems to have a life of itsown, responding not to the interpreters set of rules, but to laws which are unique to themode of translation itself.(Gentzler, 1993: 18)

Poetry translation falters between mechanical and metrical versions of the original.Undoubtedly poetry loses much of its music, sweetness and harmony in translation. Toa similar effect, in his article Translator or Betrayer? Some translators of Dante, AllanH. Gilbert says:

For everybody ought to know that nothing brought into harmony by musical linkingcan be changed over from its own language into another without destroying all itssweetness and harmony. (Friedrich, 1959: 263)

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However, a translator can exert great efforts to make up for such losses. Gilbert raisestwo important issues: mechanical translation, which hardly reflects the original andmetrical translation which imitates the English model but lacks faithfulness. For translation of poetry to be accurate, a translator postulates the impracticality of acommon set of rules and deals with each poem as a separate case.

Differences in translation theories endorse the impossibility of applying rigid rulesfor every text. I.A. Richards advocates a theory of proper translation (Gentzler, 1993:19) while Ezra Pound argues for a theory of the precise rendering of details.(Gentzler, 1993: 19) He calls for a translation that cares for the fidelity to the original inthe sense of keeping the atmosphere and meaning. (Gentzler, 1993: 26) FredericWill, avoiding all theoretical stuff about literary translation, trusts his intuition.(Gentzler, 1993: 32) The innovative aspect in Pounds theory has shown itself in manyAmerican literary translations:

License has been given to allow translators to intuit good poems from another language without knowledge of the original language or the culture, and, as long asthey have some poetic sensibility and good taste , now governed by plain speech andlack of adornment, their translations are accepted. (Gentzler, 1993: 37) [Italics mine]

I argue that having poetic sensibility and good taste does not guarantee theaccuracy of the translation. Rather, knowing the source language and its culture, fromwhich a contextual relation to the target text should be derived, helps the translator toaccomplish his task properly and the target reader to fully understand the translationgiven to him. If Balqis was translated according to Pounds criteria, many thingswould be sacrificed so much so the original message would not be properly delivered.For instance, the first image of Balqis beauty depends on whether the poet bothunderstands the cultural reference to Babel queens and the implied simile by which hecompares the graceful walk of Balqis to that of peacocks and oryx. Translation of "

" is culturally bound since it refers to someones lover. If the translator cut allcultural relations, he would render it literally. Moreover, the translated text shouldconform to the receiving cultural context, which cannot be achieved unless thetranslator is well aware of concepts such as cultural communication and cybernetics.

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W.S. Merwin appropriates viewpoints held by Richard, Pound and Will. He does notsuggest the possibility of a unified reading. Meanwhile, he focuses on what thelanguage does more than on what it says, since words take on energy in their contextual, intertextual life. (Gentzler, 1993: 40) The energetic power of words lies intheir relation to their context and to intertextual references. Therefore, the political background and the accompanying notes of the translated version of Balqis furnishthe target reader with a lens with which he can see the target text clearly. Will seesChomeskys theory of universal grammar as a good basis for the science of translationsince it makes a mutual interpenetrability of all languages possible. (Gentzler, 1993:46)However, translation of poetry cannot strictly adhere to this viewpoint. Each poethas a peculiar way of expressing his thoughts presenting to the reader ungrammaticallystructured poems using poetic license.

Eugene Nidas translation theory has something to do with Chomskys linguistic one:Nidas translation theory probed deep structures common to all languages and foundways to transform those entities in differing languages. (Gentzler, 1993: 47) Inapplying generative grammar to translation, Nida saw that the conceptual framework of the receiver along with his context must be put in mind while translating. To support hisargument, he refers to communication theory and cybernetics. (See: Gentzler, 1993: 52) Nidas argument that the reception of the translated / communicated passage should be

always stable is based on his religious approach. Actually Nida had primarily addressedtranslators of the Bible which is the word of God who is stable and so is His word. (See:Gentzler, 1993: 54) However, Nidas theory cannot be applied to literary translationsince individuals are remarkably culturally different. Despite this fact, Nidasmodification paradigm fits well in the field of literary translation since the surfacemanifestation does not really matter to Nida; changes in the text, the words, themetaphors are allowed as long as the target language text functions in the same manner as the source text. (Gentzler, 1993: 54) This modification allows the translator to freelyconvey the message of the source text into the target language, taking into consideration

the appropriation of diction, figures of speech, rhyme and rhythm as much as possible.By so doing, the result will be a well-groomed literary work rather than a literaltranslation.

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Many discussions have been held concerning literal translation and free one. I arguethat the latter approach gives more sense than the former since it renders the originaltext more culturally and linguistically contextualized in the target language. Defendinghimself, as he used free translation approach while translating the Old Testament, StJerome

disparaged the word-for-word approach because, by following so closely the form of the ST, it produced an absurd translation, cloaking the sense of the original. Thesense-for-sense approach, on the other hand, allowed the sense or content of the ST to be translated. In these poles can be seen the origin of both the literal vs. free andform vs. content debate that has continued until modern times. (Munday, 2001: 20)

The free and literal approaches appeared in the Arab world in the Abbasid period asArab translators, such as Yuhanna Ibn al-Batrq and Ibn N imaal Himsi , literallytranslated Greek scientific and philosophical material into Arabic, which was a failure.Therefore, an efficient sense-for-sense translation was given by Ibn Ishq and al-Jawahari. (Munday, 2001: 20-1) Through free translation, a translated poem keeps thespirit and the content of the origin as much as possible.

The literary translator facilitates the translatable and manages the untranslatable,rendering an easily understood target text. The nineteenth century witnessed many

discussions over different concepts of translation such as that of translatability anduntranslatability tackled by Friedrich Schleiermacher, one of the contemporary prominent scholars. His appropriation/adaptation theory (Munday, 2001: 28) whichseeks to put the source text into the target readers context is lacking since he forgets thedifferences in cultural and educational background between the translator and target textreaders. For example, the translation of Qabbanis poetry needs high skill and accuracy,no matter it is simple and direct. In the preface to Modern Arabic Poetry, Salma KhadraJayyusi holds a similar viewpoint:

the poetry of simple structures and the direct approach needs translators who canimbue the target language with the samecharge and tension that was achieved in theoriginal. It was easier, for example, to translate Khalil Hawi than Nizar Qabbani.(Jayyusi, 1987: xxiii) [Italics mine]

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The charge and tension in the source text are appreciated in different ways byvarious translators. Therefore, equivalence varies and the source text keeps its self-energetic power of representation.

In recent years, equivalence in translation has been much debated. It is difficult toachieve because it is impossible to fix one interpretation of a text throughout the time.Moreover, it is illogical to expect an objective target text as the process of translation ishighly subjective. The fact that there are different types of equivalence makes it possible for the translator to fulfill as many types as the source text and its literary genreallow. For translating poetry differs a lot from any genre. Formal / semantic anddynamic/ communicative (Nida & Nemark qtd in Nababan, 2008 ) equivalence,each plays a role in the production of a translated poem. Other types were suggested; for example Koller (1997) proposes denotative, connotative, pragmatic, textual, formaland aesthetic equivalence. (Nababan, 2008). As it is well known, sameness cannot bemaintained. The translated text usually shows loss/addition of information. To conformto the stylistic demands and grammatical conventions of the target language, structuraladjustment in translation is inevitably needed. (Nababan, 2008)

Addition/loss of information in the target text is not ornamental; rather, it is essentialto the communication between the target reader and the translation. Additional

information can take many forms:Information which is not present in the source language text may be added to thetarget language text. According to Newmark (1988: 91), information added to thetranslation is normally cultural (accounting for the differences between SL and TLculture), technical (relating to the topic), or linguistic (explaining wayward use of words). The additional information may be put in the text (i.e. by putting it in brackets) or out of the text (i.e. by using a footnote or annotation). Such additionalinformation is regarded as an extra explanation of culture-specific concepts (Baker,1992) and is obligatory specification for comprehension purposes. (Nababan, 2008)

Deleting information mentioned in the source text depends on both how effective it is tothe overall translation and on the comprehensiveness of the translated text. Deletion isusually required if the source text shows repetition often considered as redundant

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especially in languages such as Arabic. Sometimes a deleted redundant line is replaced by another rhyming one which conforms to both form and content. An example fromBalqis illustrates this point:

.. ..

The second line is replaced by another:

Everyday, Beirut kills one of us.Everywhere, there is death,

Though death does not rhyme well with us, the caesural effect helps create animage of a hovering deathly atmosphere that will be detailed in the lines that follow.

However, repetition, known as anaphora in poetry, plays a certain role incommunicating the meaning so much so deletion will be drastic. In the source text of Balqis, the first two lines are exact replica of each other. The translated text keepsthem as they stress the mortification the whole Arab nation should feel. The anaphoricuse of to be in to be assassinated, gobbled, slain, exhumed stresses the passivity of Arabs. The repetition of Now I break the cover underscores the undivided will of the poet to unleash his anger against his wifes assassins. Its a country where they killhorses is repeated to underline the savage nature of the corrupt Arab regimes. Anexample of useful addition is:

..

Balqis,My beautiful mare

Im ashamed of my history, a long nightmare.

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The addition of a long nightmare creates a musical effect as well as stresses the natureof a shame-loaded history. Many a time the adverb gracefully is added to clarify agiraffe-related image of Balqis walking in beauty; or to stress her beautiful stature as itis compared to a palm tree.

Sometimes additional information makes up for an implied meaning which isdifficult to figure out in the source text unless read carefully. Two examples hold goodhere:

Were a tribe, like others, under the yoke.

If translated literally, the intended meaning will not be properly communicated. Theadditional phrase under the yoke is momentous as it helps clarify the image of a hard-done-by people whose suffering is further illustrated throughout the poem. The secondexample:

. .

Balqis..

This is historys ugly face.

The adjectival phrase ugly face is not redundant since it creates music, rhyming withBalqis, and uncovers the implied meaning.

Once Roman Jakobson stated equivalence in difference is the cardinal problem of language and the pivotal concern of linguistics. (Munday , 2001: 37) Such differencesoccur at various levels: at the level of gender; at the level of aspect; and at the level of semantic fields. These differences can interlingually be dealt with except in the case of translation of poetry: Only poetry-where form expresses sense, where phonemic

similarity is sensed as semantic relationship- is considered untranslatable byJakobson and requires creative transportation. (Munday, 2001: 37) This does notmean to minimize the source text as is the case with Nidas receptor-oriented approachwhich necessitates adaptations of grammar, of lexicon, and of cultural references to be

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essential in order to achieve naturalness. (Munday, 2001: 42) This is inapplicable to a poem with specific unparalleled cultural references, such as Balqis. I argue that whatis untranslatable can be appropriated, restructured and expressed in a way suitable for the target reader, taking into consideration the Pound criteria of poetic sensibility andgood taste. This image furnishes a good example:

A wonderful mix

Between softness and hardness

The color of violet in her eyes

Twinkles all times.

A literal translation or a paraphrase minimizes, if not, destroys the message of thesource text. The conceptual metaphor of a beautifully attractive woman differs fromculture to culture.

In certain cases appropriation does no good. Historical figures are difficult to findequivalent for. Abo Lahab, who refers to tyrants, and al Muhalal and a-Smawaaltwo courageous tribal leaders, should be kept in transliteration with explanatory endnotes. Some lines are literally rendered as they are contextually suitable for the targetreader. The same applies to some images. For example:

..

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How they got her mouth occupied.

Neither roses nor grapes were left.

The image of a post-assassination/occupation wasteland which relates the occupiedPalestine to the dead body of his wife, may be accepted by the target reader who mayhave read T.S. Eliots The Waste Land.

II. Nizar Qabbani: A brief biography 1and political background

Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani was born on 21st March, 1923 in Mazanat A-Shaham, one of Damascus old districts. He descended from one of the well established families inDamascus. He had three brothers and two sisters. His father was a well-to-do merchant.He got his baccalaureate from the National Scientific College in Damascus, joined theFaculty of Law in the Syrian University and graduated in 1945. He mastered theEnglish language. His work in the diplomatic corps enabled him to tour different cities,especially Cairo, London, Beirut and Madrid. In 1950s, Syrian men of religion wanted Nizar to be fired from the diplomatic corps after he published his famous poem Bread,Hashish and Moon, which raised a storm of protest against him. Qabbani took on

taboo subjects, which he described in rebellious, well-crafted, popular language people brought their poems (Qabbani among them) into the streets, singing them thereand in the markets. (Gettleman, 2003: 194)

He started writing poetry at the age of 16. Throughout fifty years, he wrote about 35volumes of verse, the important of which are Childhood of a Breast, Drawing byWords, Samba and You Are Mine. He wrote a lot of books of prose such as My Storywith Poetry, What Is Poetry? and 100 Love Letters. In Beirut he established a

1 Ideas on Qabbanis life were taken from the following sites. Nazar Qabbani. Retrieved on 6June, 2008 fromhttp://www.khayma.com/salehzayadneh/poets/nizar_txt.htm Nizar Qabbani. Retrieved on 6 June, 2008 fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizar_Qabbani#cite_note-poemhunter-2 The Unknown Part of Qabanis Life. Retrieved on 6 June, 2008 fromAlarabiya.net:http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2006/10/08/28113.html

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publishing house under the name Nizar Qabbanis Publications. A lot of famoussingers in the Arab World sang his poems.

He married twice: the first was a Syrian called Zahra from who he got two daughters:Hadba and Zahraa, and a son called Tawfiq who died young, while he was a student atthe School of Medicine in Cairo, and was lamented by his father in a famous poementitled The Legendary Prince Tawfiq Qabbani. The second wife is the Iraqi BalqisA-Rawi, who was killed in the blow up of the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut during theLebanese civil war in 1982. Nizar was deeply moved by her death. He remembered her in numerous poems. The tragedy marked the rest of his life. Her memory haunted himtill he died. (Ali, 2003: 6) Therefore, he commemorated her in a poem titled Balqisin which he made the whole Arab World responsible for her assassination. From Balqishe had a son called Omar and a daughter called Zainab. He refused to marry after Balqis death.

During his life he had many shocks, especially the deaths in the family culminating inhis wife being blown up. 1967 Defeat was a turning point in his poetic life as he leftwriting about women and love to enter the political arena. Qabbani and his poetry were politicized by the Arab Defeat in the Six day War of 1967 ( Ajami, 1999: 27). Becauseof his poem Footnotes to the Book of the Setback, there was a severe discussionthrough the Arab World. Because of the trenchant criticism the poem contains, his

songs were banned, never to be broadcast on TV or on the Radio:

The despair felt by the Arabs after 1967 was captured in a poem by the Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani called Footnotes to the Book of the SetbackQabbanis poem was banned throughout the Arab world, and as a result was smuggled to every Arabcountry, printed surreptitiously and learnt by heart. It released a flood of politicalfrustration and anger that found expression in what is now known as Al-Adab al-Huzairani (The June Literature). (Butt,1997: 129)

Nevertheless, he did not stop his criticism, raising controversies and arguments. Of the

most famous controversial poems are When Will They Announce the Death of theArabs? and The Hurried-ones. He spent his last years in mysticism in London since

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he did not find any other suitable Arab city to welcome him because of his politicalviews. On 30th April 1998, he died at the age of 75 in London.

Qabbanis political poetry ranges from optimism (after 1956) to scathing criticism of Arab leaders (after 1967). It started to flourish from the sixties and it covered a longspan of time. It spotlights the Arab corrupt politics, especially their stance towards thePalestinian problem:

In the aftermath of the 1967 war, the Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani (1923-98) wrote a poem called Footnotes to the Book of Setback. The poem [is] a harsh indictment of the Arab performance in the war Twenty years later, Qabbani got his wish andcelebrated it in another poem entitled, Children Bearing Rocks. The poem is, of

course, an ode to the Palestinian intifada and its paradigmatic symbol: unarmedPalestinian children throwing stones at Israeli tanks. [Brackets mine] (Gelvin, 2007:212-3)

Balqis as well as many of his post 1967 Defeat poems deal with the Palestinian problem in a way that sheds light on the incapability fostered into the Arabs belief of taking action. (See: Crenshaw, 1995: 540) Therefore, the poet gives full vent to hisanger and directs a scathing tirade against Arab leaders.

In Balqis, Qabbani, time and again, merges the image of his dead wife with the

occupied territory since both were lost. The Palestinian problem has always shown inhis work. (Joyce, 1991: 90) & (Maddy-Weitzman, 1998: 11). He even would thank theassassins of his wife if they were men enough to restore Palestine:

The prophets who lie,Squat on peoples headWith no message to convey.

If they could regainFrom sad Palestine

A star;Or an orange.If they could fetchFrom Gazas beach

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A small pebbleOr a shell.

If, from a quarter of a century, they could freeAn olive;Or restore a lemonAnd remove such a historical stain.I would thank your killers, Balqis,The love of my life.But they left PalestineAnd assassinated a deer; my wife!!

The poet is so obsessed with the Palestinian problem that he would be satisfied if heexchanged the life of his beloved for millions of Palestinians. However, Arab leaders, as pointed out in the lines above, could not even restore anything, be it as small as anorange, a pebble, a shell an olive, or a lemon. Their political reaction isalways as self-destructive as they turn to bomb their own kinsmen and kinswomen, areaction based on fraudulent schism mostly made up by their enemies or traitors.

Qabbani criticizes sordid assassination of innocent people under any pretext. Theleitmotif of political impotence recurs throughout the poem, which is a strongapostrophe where Qabbani voices his angry intention: My love, I will tell shocking

tales about Arabs/ Is heroism an Arabs lie?/ Or, like us, does history heroism falsify?Throughout his work Qabbani hammers on the excessive humiliation the Arab nationhas been exposed to. In his poem al-Muharwaluun (the hurried ones) (Rabinovich,1999: 289-91), he depicts an image of sheepish Arab people who are unable to take anyaction, which is suggested by the title of the poem:

The Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani coined the term after the handshake on the WhiteHouse lawn between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat,which he interpreted as ahumiliating act of surrender by the entire Arab nation. (Shlaim, 2001: 578)

Arab humiliation is anticipated in Balqis and finally crystallized in his last poemssuch as al-Muharwaluun and When Will They Announce the Death of the Arabs.

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This long standing image of humiliated peoples is strikingly put in juxtaposition withthe image of their coward leaders. Political impotence goes hand in hand with the desirefor self-destruction. The aim of the leaders-created tyrannical atmosphere is both tocompensate for the failure of their external politics and to curb any trial for revolt in its bud.

In Balqis Qabbani raises the conflict between language and politics in an agedarker than the Pre-Islamic one concerning the demagogic and bloody acts done byArab leaders. The excruciating ordeal the poet underwent along with the disappointing political atmosphere almost rendered his ability to write crippled:

Sadness, Balqis, makes my heart bleedAs if it were an orange squeezed. Now; I know the distress of words,The plight of impossible language.I, who have coined letters,Dont know how to start this one.The sword penetrates into my waistAnd into that of the sentence.

The suffering of the poet makes him tongue-tied. He is at a loss due to his wifes

assassination as well as the deteriorating political situation of the whole nation.The incapability of expression occurs due to Arabs wrong political practices.

Leaders deem it convenient to silence thinkers and men of letters either by assassinationor banishment:

Qabbani borrowed the term jahiliyya , meaning pre-Islamic ignorance, to describethe Arab reality of the 1980s. In that original time of darkness the poet was histribes spokesman, chronicler, and scribe. The new jahiliyya is darker than the old. Ithas no use for the poet because it wants people on their knees; it wants them tocrawl. (Shlaim, 1998)

Qabbani makes it clear that those political regimes aim at keeping their people inchains, preventing any shred of hope of their being enlightened. The nation is Back

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again in Jahiliyyah/Back to savagery/To backwardness, hideousness andmeanness/Back again to barbarism/Where writing is a journey/ Between fragments.Though widely known for his love poetry, Qabbanis political poems are as importantas, and difficult to separate from, his love ones. Taking this into consideration, Balqiscannot properly be understood unless it is put in its political context. Qabbanis shift to political poetry does not at all mean that he left the theme of love. Resisting badtraditions and corrupt regimes contextualize love so much so his love poems crystallizehis way of emancipating women as well as unveiling political corruption. For instance,Balqis is a striking example of the intermingling of love and politics in Qabbanis poetry. The poem:

brought tears to every Arab household as well as protests for its raw indictment of Arab society Kabbani describes the Balqis poem as "the revenge of the Arab peoples against their unrighteous caliphs" (137).one of the most strikingcontributions of Kabbani to Arab culture is this portrait, in verbal form, of a mancradling the body of his murdered sweetheart, wife, and mother of his children, whileheaping abuse on the political order. (Kahf, 2000: 50)

Balqis is Qabbanis lament for and the dirge wept over his wife. A feminist writer and a supporter of womans emancipation, Qabbanis poem is but a manifesto. The very

title of the poem, which bears the name of his wife, crystallizes the role Qabbani assignsto women. (Kahf, 2000: 50) Balqis is a symbol of a feminist militant spirit, who,though dead, still stands in the face of corruption. In fact, the assassination of Balqisuncovers the darker side of the Arab politics as the poet clearly depicts.

III. Conclusion

The appropriation approach makes literary translation easy and accurate, Balqis isa case in point. However, many difficulties arise during the translation of Balqissuchas finding equivalence in a materialistic culture to Abo Lahab, which has a religiousconnection in a religious-based one. The same difficulty applies to Samawal and

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Muhalhal whose cultural-relations to the tribal life of the Arabs are unparalleled inAnglo-European/American culture. Another difficulty is the difference in value whilesearching for an equivalent. For example, translating the word " " into giraffenecessitates the addition of the adverb gracefully without which the cultural bearingof the animal image in Arabic-which means as graceful as a giraffe- will not beunderstood by the English reader. Different theories by Richards, Pound, Will and Nidacannot meet the requirements of literary translation. Consequently, an appropriation of these theories fits literary translation, specially poetry.

In addition, the biographical information which shows the turning point in Qabbaniswriting after the 1967 Defeat helps to relate political thoughts found in Balqis to a political background which, in turn, creates a cultural, historical, intertextual andmetatextual context. The poems background sheds light on the political situation of theArab nation. Political impotence and compensatory\precautionary self-destruction arethe most important aspects of these corrupt regimes. Throughout Qabbanis poetry, he pinpoints the political ills which render Arab politics a total fiasco. Consequently, for the translation of Balqis to be fully grasped, it should be read in this context.

IV. Balqis 2 by Nizar Qabbnai

Thank you.Thank you.For killing my Balqis.Go, have a drink,On the martyrs graves brink.My poem is assassinated.For no nation but oursHas such powers!

Balqis Was the most beautiful of Babel queens.

2 This translation was first published in Genre, a journal of Comparative literature, by CaliforniaState University. The translation can be found on this sitehttp://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departments/complit-classics/genre/index.htm

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Balqis Was the tallest of all Iraqi palm trees.She gracefully walksAs if followed by oryx and peacocks.Balqis Youre my painThe poems pain when thumbed.How can plants sproutAfter your hairs rot?Oh, green Nnaw,My blonde gypsy,Tigris waves,Wearing, in spring,The best bracelets.They killed youWhat an Arabs nationThat enjoysThe nightingales assassination?!Wherere a-Samaw'al,And al-Muhalhil,3

And early generous masters?Tribes have eaten tribes.Snakes have slaughtered snakes.Spiders have killed spiders.I swear by your eyes,Where a million planet lies.My love, I will tell shocking tales about ArabsIs heroism an Arabs lie?Or, like us, does history heroism falsify?

Balqis,

3 A-Samaw'al and al-Muhalhil were two Arab historical figures known for their bravery andgenerosity.

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Never finally rest,Or the sunWont shine over the coast.When investigated,I will say:The thief takes the role of fighter.I will say:The talented leader becomes a contractor.I will say:The radiations tale is the nastiest joke.Were a tribe, like others, under the yoke.Balqis..This is historys ugly face.How can men differentiate betweenA garden and a dustbin?Balqis,Youre a martyr, a poem;Chaste and righteous.Queen of Sheba people search to welcome

In return, go and hail them.You, the greatest of all queens,A woman who incarnates, all Sumerian Ages.

Balqis..Of all birds, youre the delicious.Of all icons, the most precious.Dear as tears, over Magdalenes face.Have I done you injustice,

When, once, I moved you from Adhamiyah4

banks?Everyday, Beirut kills one of us.Everywhere, there is death,

4 Adhamiyah is a place in Iraq where Balqis used to live before her marriage to the poet.

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In the cup of coffee,In the door key,In the terrace flowers,In the papers,In the alphabet.

Here we are, BalqisBack again in Jahiliyyah5. Back to savagery.To backwardness, hideousness and meanness.Back again to barbarism.

Where writing is a journeyBetween fragments.Where killing a butterfly in its fieldIs the case.Do you know my beloved Balqis?She is the most important in love booksA wonderful mixBetween softness and hardnessThe color of violet in her eyesTwinkles all times.

Balqis In my memory, youre the most blestA grave travelling through the mist.Like any deer in Beirut, youre slaughteredAfter speech had been muzzled.Balqis..It is not a dirge

5 Jahiliyyah is the pagan age when Arabs worshipped statues. The poet debunks Arabs completeuncivilized manners and how they behaved as if they were pagan savages. This recurrent ideadates back to his poem Notes on the Book of Setback where he summarized the reasons of 1967Defeat in two lines: We were civilized in appearance/But, in reality, we live in Jahiliyyah. Thisis the link to the poem in Arabic:http://www.damascus-online.com/poems/Nizar/naksah.htm

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ButIt is a farewell to the Arab age.6

Balqis..Were ever pining for you.And the little house asksAbout his perfumed princesss whereaboutsWe listen to the news, but it is mysteriousIt leaves us ever curious. Balqis..

Were suffering to the bone.The kids dont know whats going on.I dont know what to say, then?Would you shortly knock at the door?Would you take off your winter coat?Would you come smiling,And like field flowers shining?

Balqis

The green plants you growAre still on the wall, making a crying show.Your face is still movingBetween the mirrors and curtainsEven the cigarette youre smokingKeeps its lightsAnd its smoke is hanging.Balqis Were very sad at heart,

6 The concept of the catatonia which befell Arab politics were traced by Qabbani till the last daysof his life. In When Will They Announce the Death of the Arabs a nightmarish image of corruptArab politics is crystallized in those lines: For fifty years/ Ive observed Arabs/ Thundering buttaking no action/Going to Wars with no victory/Bragging rhetorically/With no step forward.This is the link to the poem in Arabic:http://www.damascus-online.com/poems/Nizar/wafat.htm

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Struck dumb and shockedBalqis How did you take away my days, and dreams.And crossed off gardens and seasons?Oh, my wife;My love; my poem and my eyesight.You were my beautiful bird.How did you leave me without a word?

Balqis..Its time for perfumed, well stored Iraqi tea.My giraffe, who will serve it gracefully?Who moved Euphrates to our house?Who moved Resafa and flowers of Tigris?

Balqis..Grief penetrates me.Beirut killed you,About its crime, it never knew.

Beirut loved you; however,It ignored killing its lover.And put out moonlight forever.

Balqis Oh, Balqis Oh, Balqis Over you, every cloud weeps buckets.Who will cry for me?

Balqis; how did you depart with no sign,Without putting your hand in mine?

Balqis..

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How could you leave us twisting in the wind,Trembling as leaves?You left-the three of us-lost,As a feather under the rain.Didnt you think of me; your lover?I need your love as much as Zeinab or Omar .7

Balqis Youre a supernatural treasure,An Iraqi Spear,A bamboo wood.You defied stars in their loftiness,From where did you get such strength?Balqis My friend; my companion,Decent as a chrysanthemum.For us, neither Beirut nor the sea has a space, Nor can we find any suitable place.Balqis..Youre unmatchable,A unique piece!Balqis..Im tortured by our relations gory details.And time hangs heavy, as tough as nails.Every little hairpin has a story to tell.Even your golden hairgrips,Usually overwhelm me by waves of tenderness.The sweet Iraqi voice,On curtains,On chairs,On cutlery,

7 Zeinab or Omar are the children of Nizar and Balqis.

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Rests.You show upFrom the mirrors,From the rings,From the poem,From the candles,From the cups,From the purple wine.

Balqis Oh, Balqis...Oh, Balqis

If only you recognized,The pain caused by places you once occupied.In every corner your spirit hovers as a bird,Fully scented as a Balm wood.There you used to smoke.There you used to read.There, as graceful as a palm tree,You got your hair combed.To welcome the guests you entered,As brisk as a Yemeni sword.

Balqis..Where is the Guerlain bottle?And the blue light?Where is your Kent cigarette,Which is ever in your lips?Where is Al Hashmey8 singingOver such a good stature?

When combs remember you,8 Al Hashmey may be a kind of a bird which sings at home, (a nightingale). Or the proper namemay well refer to Al Hashmey (1938-2006), a famous Algerian singer whose way of singing hada formative impact on Algerian popular singning. A brief biography and some of his songs are onthis webpage:http://www.sama3y.net/forum/showpost.php?p=118843&postcount=23

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Its because all funerals start in KarbalaAnd end in Karbala. No more history to read, Im warned.My fingers got burnedAnd my clothes are blood-covered.Here we are in the Stone AgeEveryday gets us back a thousand years.In Beirut the seaCeases to be, after you did go.Poetry asks about its poem,With incomplete words,And none gives answers.Sadness, Balqis, makes my heart bleedAs if it were an orange squeezed. Now; I know the distress of words,The plight of impossible language.I, who have coined letters,Dont know how to start this one.The sword penetrates into my waist

And into that of the sentence.Balqis, culture in you is rated,For a female is culture incarnated.

Who has slainBalqis, my greatest good omen?You prefigure the art of writing.You are the island and the lighthouse.Balqis

My lark they buried among stones. Now I break the cover, Now I break the cover.When under investigation, I will say:

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I know the namethe thingsThe prisonersThe martyrsthe poorand the helplessIll say I know the killer who put my wife to the swordI know all the informers facesIll say: our chastity is debaucheryAnd our piety is immoralityIll say: our struggle is a lieAnd theres no differenceBetween politics and prostitution!!When under investigation, I will say:I had known the killers.Ill say:Our Arab time is specialized in killingJasmine,All prophetsAnd all messengersEven green eyesAre devoured by Arabs

Even hair locks; and rings;Bracelets; mirrors; and toys.Even the stars are afraid of my homelandFor a reason I cant understand.Even the birds fly awayAnd I dont know why.Even planets; boats; and clouds,Even notebooks; and books,And all things of beauty

Are against Arabs.

When your seraphic body was shattered,Balqis,

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How my deer was slain by Abi Lahabs10 sward..All thieves from the Gulf to the Ocean:Destroy and burn,Ransack and get bribed,And rape womenAs Abu Lahab likesAll dogs are employed,Eating,And getting drunk At Abi Lahabs treat. No wheat growsIf Abu Lahab disapproves. No child is bornUntil his mother goes to bedWith Abi Lahab. No prison is openWithout Abi Lahabs opinion. None is beheadedWithout Abi Lahabs command.

When under investigation, I will say:How my princess was raped.How they shared her turquoise -like greenish eyesAnd her wedding ring.Ill say how they did shareHer golden running hair.When under investigation, I will say:How they pounced on her copy

Of the Holy Quran10 Abu Lahab is a historical figure, the prophets uncle. His full name was Abd-al-Uzza ibnAbdul Muttalib. He got that nickname , which literally meant in English Father of Hell, because he hated the Muslims and tortured any convert heartlessly. In the poem, it refers to thosemerciless, unscrupulous people.

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And set it on fire.Ill say how they made her bleedHow they got her mouth occupied. Neither roses nor grapes were left.Is Balqis slaughter The only victoryThroughout Arabs history?

Balqis,The love of my life.The prophets who lie,Squat on peoples headWith no message to convey.If they could regainFrom sad PalestineA star;Or an orange.If they could fetchFrom Gazas beach

A small pebbleOr a shell.If, from a quarter of a century, they could freeAn olive;Or restore a lemonAnd remove such a historical stain.I would thank your killers, Balqis,The love of my life.But they left Palestine

And assassinated a deer; my wife!!What can poetry say, Balqis,In such an age?What can poetry say

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In this self-centred,Amoral,Coward age.The Arab WorldIs Crushed; oppressed;And muzzled.We represent crime at its best,So whats (al-Iqd al Fareed) or (al-Aghani)11?My love they grabbed you though we held handsThey got the poem and left me speechless.They got writing; reading;Childhood; and wishes.

Balqis, oh, Balqis.Youre tears dripping over violins strings.I taught your killers the secrets of love,But before the end of the courseThey killed my horse.Balqis:

I ask forgiveness.Maybe your life was for mine, a sacrifice.I know well thatyour killers aimswere to kill my words.My beautiful, rest in peaceAfter you, poetry will ceaseAnd womanhood is out of place.Generations of childrens flocks

11 al-Aghani (The Book of Songs) by Abu al-Faraj al-Asfahani,(897-967)[go to this link for further informationhttp://majles.alukah.net/showthread.php?t=7157] and al-Iqd al Fareed byIbn Abd Rabbuh al Andalusi (860-939) [go to this link for further informationhttp://www.55a.net/firas/arabic/?page=show_det&id=711&select_page=18] Are two of the mostimportant books about the history of Arabic culture and literature.

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Will keep asking about your long hair locks.Generations of loverswill read about you, the true instructor.One day the Arabs will get itThat they killed the prophetess.Killed the prophetess12.KilledThe prophetess

Written by Nizar Qabani on 15th December, 1981.

12 The martyr/prophet image can be traced to early works such as poem Gamal Abd al-Nasser,where he laments the death of Egypts ex-president; thus linking his wife to prominent Arableaders. This is the link to the poem:http://www.damascus-online.com/poems/Nizar/Nasser.htm

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Ajami, Fouad. (1999) Dream Palace of the Arabs: A generations odyssey . New York:First Vintage Books Edition.

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Qabbani, Nizar. Notes on the Book of Setback Retrieved 3 Jan. 2009 fromhttp://www.damascus-online.com/poems/Nizar/naksah.htm

When Will They Announce the Death of the Arabs. Retrieved 3 Jan. 2009 fromhttp://www.damascus-online.com/poems/Nizar/wafat.htm

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Yasser K. R. AMAN

Dr Yasser K. R. Aman got his PhD in English literature in 2003. Both his MA and his Ph.D arecomparative studies. The former was a comparison between Al-Shaby (a Tunisian poet) and thefamous English romantic poet Shelley. The latter compares between two African-American poets:Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes. He has written six research papers: "TheMisrepresentation of Arabs in the Western Media" , "Lawrence's Sons and Lovers and Mahfouz'sThe Mirage: A Comparative Study, Do Things Fall Apart? A Reconsideration of the RacistConcept of the Nobel Savage Through a True Representation of the Savagery of the Noble,"Chaos and Literature from an Existentialist Perspective" (2007)http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb/vol9/iss3/5/, Tearing up the Bowels of the American Societythrough Dramatic Monolgue & "Words at Play: Different interpretations of Wallace Stevens's"A Dish of Peaches in Russia" and "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"

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