qasayed-wa-qahwa

[qasayed-wa-qahwa]

Why Do I See Kunafa's Face So Angry?

Poet: Abul-Husayn Al-Jazzar

Era: Mamluk

Poem:

وَمَالِي أَرَى وَجْهَ الْكُنافَةِ مُغْضَبًا … وَلَوْلَا رِضَاهَا لَمْ أُرِدْ رَمَضَانَهَا Why do I see Kunafa's face so angry? Were it not for her pleasure, I'd not desire her Ramadan. عَجِبْتُ لَهَا مِنْ رِقَّةٍ كَيْفَ أَظْهَرَتْ … عَلَيَّ قَدْ صَدَّ عَنِّي جَنَاحَهَا I marveled how tenderly she'd shown herself To me—then rejected me from her side! تُرَى اتَّهَمَتْنِي بِالْقَطايِفِ فَاغْتَدَتْ … تَصُدُّ اعْتِقادًا أَنَّ قَلْبِيَ خَانَهَا I wonder—did she accuse me with Qatayef, then depart, Pushing me away, thinking my heart has betrayed her? وَقَدْ قَاطَعَتْنِي مَا سَمِعْتُ كَلَامَهَا ... لِأَنَّ لِسَانِي لَمْ يُخَاطِبْ لِسَانَهَا And indeed she cuts me whence I hear her words; Because my tongue hasn't yet spoken to hers.

Notes:

There are variations to the poem, some of which omit the last line; but otherwise all are to the same playful effect.

"Kunafa" (كُنافَة) in Arabic is a feminine word, thus I gendered the translation too, as it maintains the imagery.

In English, "kunafa" may have a number of transliterations. I went with the most accurate-sounding one, being "kunafa".

Kunafa has always been a staple food in Ramadan, eaten as a dessert primarily in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.

[qasayed-wa-qahwa]

Learn!

Poet: Imam Muhmmad Ibn Idris al-Shafi'i

Era: Abbasid

Poem:

تَعَلَّمْ فَلَيْسَ الْمَرْءُ يُولَدُ عَالِمًا ... وَلَيْسَ أَخُو عِلْمٍ كَمَنْ هُوَ جَاهِلُ Learn! For one is not born knowledgeable; Nor is a learned one alike he who is ignorant. وَإِنَّ كَبِيرَ الْقَوْمِ لَا عِلْمَ عِنْدَهُ ... صَغِيرٌ إِذَا الْتَفَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الْجَحَافِلُ Should the chieftan of a people possess no learning, Belittled he is when armies gather on him. وَإِنَّ صَغِيرَ الْقَوْمِ إِنْ كَانَ عَالِمًا ... كَبِيرٌ إِذَا رُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِ الْمَحَافِلُ And the youngest of a people, if he is learned, Stands ever great when assemblies turn to him.

[qasayed-wa-qahwa]

To My Mother

Poet: Mahmoud Darwish

Era: Modern

Poem:

أحنُّ إلى خبز أمي وقهوة أُمي ولمسة أُمي... وتكبر فيَّ الطفولةُ يوماً على صدر يومِ وأعشَقُ عمرِي لأني إذا مُتُّ، أخجل من دمع أُمي! I long for my mother’s bread, And my mother’s coffee, And my mother’s touch… And childhood grows within me Day upon day, upon the chest of day. I crave my life because— If I die— I’d be ashamed of my mother’s tears! خذيني، إذا عدتُ يوماً وشاحاً لهُدْبِكْ وغطّي عظامي بعشب تعمَّد من طهر كعبك وشُدّي وثاقي... بخصلة شعر... بخيطٍ يلوَّح في ذيل ثوبك... عساني أصيرُ إلهاً إلهاً أصيرْ. إذا ما لمستُ قرارة قلبك! Take me, if I ever return, As a shawl for your lashes; Cover my bones with grass Baptized by the purity of your footsteps. Tighten my bonds… With a lock of hair… With a thread fluttering from your dress’s hem… So that I may become a god— A god I become, Should I touch the depths of your heart! ضعيني، إذا ما رجعتُ وقوداً بتنّور ناركْ... وحبل غسيل على سطح دارك لأني فقدتُ الوقوف بدون صلاة نهارك هَرِمْتُ، فردّي نجوم الطفولة حتى أُشارك صغار العصافير درب الرجوع... لعُشِّ انتظارِك! Place me, if I return, As fuel for the flame in your oven… Or as a clothesline on the roof of your house, For I have lost the strength to stand Without the prayer of your daylight. I have grown old—so bring back the stars of childhood That I might join The little birds In their path home… To the nest of your waiting!

Notes:

Although this poem could be read as a eulogy, it could also be read as a metaphor for the Nakba, where the "mother" in question is Palestine.

[qasayed-wa-qahwa]

If You Venture

Poet: Abul-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi

Era: Abbasid

Poem:

إِذا غامَرتَ في شَرَفٍ مَرومٍ ... فَلا تَقنَع بِما دونَ النُجومِ If you venture for a desired honor, Then stop at nothing short of the stars; فَطَعمُ المَوتِ في أَمرٍ صَغيرٍ ... كَطَعمِ المَوتِ في أَمرٍ عَظيمِ For death's taste in a small matter Is as death's taste in a grand matter. سَتَبكي شَجوَها فَرَسي وَمُهري ... صَفائِحُ دَمعُها ماءُ الجُسومِ Your steed and blade shall weep in sorrow, Their tears flowing as their bodies' blood flow. قَرَبنَ النارَ ثُمَّ نَشَأنَ فيها ... كَما نَشَأَ العَذارى في النَعيمِ They approached the fire, then rose anew; As did paradise maidens in hereafterly bloom. وَفارَقنَ الصَياقِلَ مُخلَصاتٍ ... وَأَيديها كَثيراتُ الكُلومِ They parted ways with blades once-pure, Their hands heavily scarred with langour. يَرى الجُبَناءُ أَنَّ ��لعَجزَ عَقلٌ ... وَتِلكَ خَديعَةُ الطَبعِ اللَئيمِ Cowards will see their ineptitude as wise, A deceit of their base nature disguised. وَكُلُّ شَجاعَةٍ في المَرءِ تُغني ... وَلا مِثلَ الشَجاعَةِ في الحَكيمِ And though every courage of a man will suffice, There is none like the courage of the truly wise. وَكَم مِن عائِبٍ قَولاً صَحيحاً ... وَآفَتُهُ مِنَ الفَهمِ السَقيمِ So frequent do blamers blame words that are blameless, Wrought not but from their own miserable brainlessness! وَلَكِن تَأخُذُ الآذانُ مِنهُ ... عَلى قَدرِ القَرائِحِ وَالعُلومِ Thus ears take in whatever is heard, As per their intellect and knowledge retained.

[qasayed-wa-qahwa]

Have You Been Struck?

Era: Umayyad

Poet: Unknown

Poem:

أصابَكَ عشقٌ أم رُميتَ بأسهمِ … فما هذهِ إلا سجيّةُ مُغرَمِ Have you been struck by love or pierced by arrows? For this is naught but the nature of the enamored one. أصابك سهم أم رُميتَ بنظرةٍ … فما هذه إلا خطيئةُ من رُمي Were you struck by an arrow, or struck by a single glance? For that, then, is but the fault of the casting one. ألا فاسقِ��ي كاساتِ راحٍ وغنِّ لي … بذِكرِ سُليمةَ والكمانِ ونغِّني Now pour me wine chalices and sing to me With the lute - of Sulayma - a beautiful melody! فدَع عنكَ ليلى العامريةِ إنني … أغارُ عليها من فم المتكلمِ Forgo Layla Al-'Amiriya, for I indeed Go jealous of the lips speaking of her to me: أغارُ عليها من أبيها وأمِها … إذا حدّثاها في الكلامِ المُغَمغَمِ I envy her father and her mother over her; Should they murmur to her ever quietly! أغارُ عليها من أخيها وأختِها … ومن خُطوةِ المسواك إن دار في الفم I envy her brother and sister over her; And the dance of the miswak if it moves in that mouth of hers! أغار على أعطافها من ثيابها … إذا ألبستها فوق جسم منْعم I envy the clothes resting on her back, That she adorns over a delicate body! وأحسَدُ أقداحًا تقبّل ثغرها … إذا أوضعتها موضعَ اللثمِ في الفمِ And I despise the chalices that she'd kiss, Placing them on her lips, that drink she may! على شاطيءِ الوادي نظرتُ حمامة … أطالتْ عليَّ حسرتي وتندُمي By the riverbank - there I glimpsed a dove; Prolonging my sighs and regrets so wistfully. خذوا بدمي منها فإني قتيلها … ولا مقصدي إلا تجودُ وتنعَمي Get from her my blood money, for I'm her slain; Though I seek from her mercy and to bless me. ولا تقتلوها إن ظفرتم بقتلها … ولكن سلوها كيف حلّ لها دمي Do not execute her should you all capture her, Rather ask what permits that my blood be spilt by her! وقولوا لها يامنيةَ النفسِ إنني … قتيلُ الهوى والعشق لو كنتِ تعلمي So tell her, "O Soul's Desire, indeed I am Passionate love's slain victim, if you knew, only!" ولا تحسبوا إني قُتلت بصارم … ولكن رمتني من رباها بأسهمِ Think not that she slew me with a mighty sword; Rather pierced me, did she, with arrows from above me! لها حُكمَ لقمانٍ وصورةُ يوسفٍ … ونَغمةُ داودٍ وعفةُ مريم She has Luqman's wisdom and Joseph's beauty, And David's melody, and Mary's chastity - ولي حزنُ يعقوبٍ ووحشةُ يونسٍ … وآلامُ أيوبٍ وحَسرةُ آدمِ While Jacob's sorrow and Jonah's loneliness, Job's pain, Adam's remorse are all for me.

Notes:

A miswak is a small branch from the Salvadora persica tree used by Muslims to clean the teeth and mouth.

Luqman is a figure attested to in the holy Quran and Prophetic Tradition as being a man gifted immense wisdom by God, though not a prophet.

In the Islamic tradition, it is said that Prophet Joseph was given immense beauty such that the women of Egypt would cut their own fingers off and not feel it due to how enamored they were.

In the Islamic tradition, King David is said to have sung the Psalms in a beautiful and melodious voice.

[qasayed-wa-qahwa]

Introduction

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليما كثيرا أجمعين

This blog is dedicated to my translations of Arabic poetry of different eras of history. I may also include analyses or explanations of the poetry in question.

This is not a blog for anything personal, but rather just as a hobby. It'll be updated as I post more, God-willing.