Qabbani, Nizar (1923 - 1998)
Nizar Qabbani was a Syrian diplomat, publisher, lyricist and poet, and remains one of the most widely read, revered and beloved poets of the Arab world. He was one of the pioneers to switch from classical Arabic and include the terms from everyday colloquial dialect in his poetry, modifying the strict forms of Arabic poetry into a more fluid free verse. He was also a feminist, among the first to highlight the sexuality of women and the problems they face in a male dominated society, often writing from a woman's point of view.
Many of his songs have been performed and popularised by famous Arab singers/celebrities such as Fairuz, Umm Kulthoum and Mohammed Abdel Wahab. He has been translated into English, French and Spanish, as well as into less widely spoken languages like Persian and Nepali.
Today my entry is a response to his poem When I Love You.
When you love me
When you
love me: love equals calm
a racing
heart hushed in safe arms
and all
need for language, shadows of words
given up, neither
drumbeats heard
maybe a
long, low, whispery riff
of silver
anklets as they slip
off my feet
onto the floor.
Somewhere,
a distant radio
plays a
well-known signature tune
the select
raga* of late monsoon.
Within
earshot too, a purring mobile,
as I burrow
deeper into your smile.
When you
love me: love equals home
remote and
foreign are quietly made my own
in one
instant, your presence, absence
the pivots
of planets, and transcendence.
As the
river wave leaps and the rain
falls in,
so have I leaped and lain,
fallen
into you, each drop and fall
every
blending in and standing tall
memorable, and yet, mundane, routine.
When you
love me, love means serene.
*In classical Indian music, raga is a strict melodic format, the performance of which is tied to a particular season and/or time of day.
Q is for Quitting, which I don't plan to do now that I have got this far. Also for Quieter, which it is going to be once the A-Z is over. Too Quiet and peaceful? Glad of the rest? Which one is you?
Posted for the A-Z Challenge 2015
Your poem had a wonderful flow to it!
ReplyDeleteHi Nila - lovely poem .. I especially liked the
ReplyDelete"When you love me: love equals home
remote and foreign are quietly made my own
in one instant, your presence, absence
the pivots of planets, and transcendence."
And Quiet - I'm fond of quiet .. love to laugh too .. Quitting - I don't do that ... cheers Hilary
I visited your A-Z challenge earlier, but I cannot recall if I just read a bunch or if I read and responded. Too many visits to new blogs this month! lol Your theme is really unusual and draws the reader in on many levels. Learning about unfamiliar people and reading some very different poetry is a great break from the myriad writing tips I seem to end up at. Sharon (from mystery terms)
ReplyDeleteI love the sensual imagery of your poem--especially "long, low, whispery riff of silver anklets as they slip off my feet onto the floor." Just stunning! I also really like the rain images in the second stanza. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete"When you love me: love equals home
ReplyDeleteremote and foreign are quietly made my own
in one instant" loved these line from the poem. Beautiful!
I love how your poem flowed down through the lines. Beautiful! I am struggling with completing A to Z, but we're almost there! Good luck! :)
ReplyDelete