Arabic Poetry Quotes

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The bridge will only take you halfway there, to those mysterious lands you long to see. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free. So come and walk awhile with me and share the twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known. But this bridge will only take you halfway there. The last few steps you have to take alone.
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Shel Silverstein
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ุนุงุฑู ูŠุงุฑุจ .. ุงู†ุง ู„ุณู‘ู‡ ู…ู‚ูˆู„ุชุด ุนู„ู‰ ูƒุฐุง ุณูุฑ ุงู†ุง ู„ุณู‡ ู…ู‚ูˆู„ุชุด ูˆู„ุง ุญุงุฌู‡ ูˆู„ุฅู† ุงู„ุทูŠุจู‡ ุณุงุนุงุช ุจุชุนูุฑ ุจุทู‘ู„ุช ุฃููƒุฑ ุจุณุฐุงุฌู‡ ุจุทู„ุช ุฃุชุนู„ู‚ ุงู„ู…ุงุดูŠูŠู† ุฃูˆ ุฃุญุจ ูŠุญุจู†ู‰ ุจู†ู‰ ุขุฏู…ูŠู† ุจุทู„ุช ุฃุนูˆุฒ ุฃุตู„ุง ุญุงุฌู‡ !
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ู…ุญู…ุฏ ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู…
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ู‡ู„ ุชุนู„ู… ุฃู†ูƒ ุฃุญูŠุงู†ุง .. ุจุชุญุณ ุจุฅู†ูƒ ู…ุด ุญุงุณุณ ุŸ! ูˆูƒุฅู†ูƒ ุฎุฏุช ูู€ ุฅุญุณุงุณูƒ 100 ุญู‚ู†ุฉ ุจู†ุฌ .. ูˆุถู„ูˆุนูƒ ุจู‚ูˆุง ุญุจุฉ ุฎูุฑุฏู‡ ูˆุชุดูˆู ุงู„ุฏู†ูŠุง ุจุนูŠู† ุจุงุฑุฏู‡ ูˆูŠุชุญูˆู„ ู‚ู„ุจูƒ ูŠูˆู…ู‡ุง ู„ุชู„ุฌ ูˆุงู„ู†ุงุณ ูŠุชุณุงูˆูˆุง ู‚ุตุงุฏ ุนูŠู†ูƒ ูˆุชุดูˆู ุงู„ูุงุฑู‚ ู…ุด ูุงุฑู‚ ูˆุชุดูˆู ุงู„ู„ู…ู‡ ุจุชููƒูƒ ูˆุชุดูˆู ุงู„ุญู„ูˆ ู…ู„ูˆุด ู‚ูŠู…ู‡ ูˆูƒุฅู†ูƒ ู‚ุงุนุฏ ูู€ ุงู„ุณูŠู…ุง .. ูˆุญูŠุงุชูƒ ููŠู„ู… ู‚ุฏูŠู… ุดูˆูุชู‡ ูˆู„ุฐู„ูƒ ุจู‚ู‰ ู…ุด ุจูŠุถุญูƒ !
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ู…ุญู…ุฏ ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู…
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ุฃูŽูŠูŽู…ู’ุฑุถู ุญูู„ู’ู…ูŒ ูƒูŽู…ูŽุง ูŠูŽู…ู’ุฑูŽุถู ุงู„ุญูŽุงู„ูู…ููˆู†ุŸ ุฎูŽุฑูŠููŒ ุฎุฑูŠููŒ. ุฃูŠููˆู„ูŽุฏู ุดูŽุนู’ุจูŒ ุนูŽู„ูŽู‰ ู…ูู‚ู’ุตู„ูŽู‡ู’ุ› ูŠุญูู‚ูู‘ ู„ูŽู†ูŽุง ุฃู†ู’ ู†ูŽู…ููˆุชูŽ ูƒู…ูŽุง ู†ูŽุดู’ุชูŽู‡ููŠ ุฃู†ู’ ู†ูŽู…ู’ูˆุชุŒ ู„ูุชูŽุฎู’ุชูŽุจูู‰ุก ุงู„ุฃุฑุถู ููŠ ุณูู†ู’ุจูู„ูŽู‡ู’
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Mahmoud Darwish (ูˆุฑุฏ ุฃู‚ู„)
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ูŠุงู„ู„ู‰ ุงู†ุชูˆ ู‚ุงุนุฏูŠู† ูู€ ุงู„ุณู…ุง ! .. ุจู‚ุงู„ูƒูˆุง ูุชุฑู‡ ู…ุฒูˆุฑุชูˆู†ูŠุด ูู€ ุงู„ุญู„ู… ู„ูŠู‡ ุŸ! ูŠุง ุฌุฏุชู‰ : ุทุจ ุนุงู…ู„ู‡ ุฅูŠู‡ ุŸ! ุฃุฎุจุงุฑูƒ ุงูŠู‡ ูู€ ุงู„ุฌู†ู‡ ู…ู† ุจุนุฏ ุงู„ู…ู…ุงุช ุฏุงู†ุง ู„ุณู‡ ูุงูƒุฑ ูƒู„ ู‚ุงุนุฏู‡ ู‚ุนุฏุชู‡ุง ูˆูŠุงูƒู‰ ู†ุญูƒู‰ ุจุงู„ุณุงุนุงุช ู…ู† ุจุนุฏ ู…ูˆุชูƒ ุญุจู‰ ู„ู„ุดุงู‰ ู‚ู„ ุฎุงู„ุต .. ูŠู…ูƒู† ุนุดุงู† ุงู„ุดุงู‰ ุฃุณุงุณุง ุญู„ุงูˆุชู‡ ูƒุงู†ุช ูู€ ุฅุฌุชู…ุงุนู†ุง ู…ุจู‚ุชุด ุฃุญุณ ู„ุฃูˆุถุชูƒ ุงู„ู…ู‚ููˆู„ู‡ ู…ุนู†ู‰ .. ูˆูƒุฑู‡ุช ุญุชู‰ ุงู„ูˆู‚ูู‡ ูู€ ุงู„ุดุจุงูƒ ุงู†ุง ุฑูˆุญุช ู…ุฑู‡ ุจุนุฏ ู…ูˆุชูƒ ุจุนุฏู‡ุง ู…ุจู‚ุชุด ุนุงูŠุฒ ุฃุฑูˆุญ ู‡ู†ุงูƒ
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ู…ุญู…ุฏ ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู…
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ูˆุญูŠุฏุงู‹ ุญูŠู† ุฃู…ุณูŠ ูููŠ ูˆุญุฏุชูŠ ุฃู†ุณูŠ
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Khaled Ibrahim
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ูˆู„ุฃู†ู†ูŠ ุฑุบู… ุงู„ู‚ุจูˆุฑ.. ูˆุฑุบู… ู…ูˆุช ุงู„ุฃุฑุถ ุฃุฑูุถ ุฃู† ุฃู…ูˆุช
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ูุงุฑูˆู‚ ุฌูˆูŠุฏุฉ (ู„ุฃู†ูŠ ุฃุญุจูƒ)
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ุงู„ุญู…ุฏ ู„ู„ู‡ ุงู„ู‚ุฏูŠู… ุงู„ุจุงู‚ูŠ ุฐูŠ ุงู„ุนุฑุด ูˆุงู„ุณูŽู‘ุจุน ุงู„ุนูู„ุง ุงู„ุทุจุงู‚ ุงู„ู…ู„ููƒู ุงู„ู…ู†ูุฑุฏู ุงู„ุฌุจูŽู‘ุงุฑ ุงู„ุฏุงุฆู… ุงู„ุฌู„ุงู„ ูˆุงู„ุฅูƒุจุงุฑ ูˆุงุฑุซู ูƒู„ูู‘ ู…ุงู„ูƒู ูˆู…ุง ู…ูŽู„ูŽูƒู’ ูˆู…ูู‡ูู„ูƒ ุงู„ุญูŠูู‘ ูˆู…ูุญูŠูŠ ู…ูŽู† ู‡ู„ูŽูƒ ู…ู†ุฒูู‘ู„ ุงู„ุฐูู‘ูƒุฑ ุจุฎูŠุฑ ุงู„ุฃู„ุณู† ู…ุดุชู…ู„ุงู‹ ุนู„ู‰ ุงู„ุจูŠุงู† ุงู„ุฃุญุณู†ู
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ุฃุญู…ุฏ ุดูˆู‚ูŠ (ุฏูˆู„ ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ูˆุนุธู…ุงุก ุงู„ุฅุณู„ุงู…)
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ุฃู„ูŠุณุช ุงู„ู†ูุณ ุชู…ูˆุชู ู…ูŽุฑูŽู‘ู‡ู’ ูุฎุฐู’ ุนู„ูŠู‡ุง ุฃู† ุชู…ูˆุชูŽ ุญูู€ู€ุฑูŽู‘ู‡ู’
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ุฃุญู…ุฏ ุดูˆู‚ูŠ (ุฏูˆู„ ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ูˆุนุธู…ุงุก ุงู„ุฅุณู„ุงู…)
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ูŠุง ู…ูˆุทู†ุงู‹ ููŠ ุซุฑุงู‡ ุบุงุจ ุณุงุฏุชู‡* ู„ูˆูƒุงู† ูŠุฎุฌู„ ู…ู† ุจุงุนูˆูƒ ู…ุง ุจุงุนูˆุง
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ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู† (ุงู„ุฃุนู…ุงู„ ุงู„ุดุนุฑูŠุฉ ุงู„ูƒุงู…ู„ุฉ: ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู†)
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:ูˆุฃูŽู…ูŽุฑู’ุชู ู‚ู„ุจูŠ ุจุงู„ุชุฑูŠู‘ุซ: ูƒูู†ู’ ุญูŠุงุฏูŠู‘ุงู‹ ูƒุฃู†ูŽู‘ูƒูŽ ู„ูŽุณู’ุชูŽ ู…ู†ูŠ!
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Mahmoud Darwish
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ุฅู† ู‚ู€ู„ุจู€ูŠ ู„ู€ู€ุจู€ู€ู„ุงุฏูŠ ู„ุง ู„ุญุฒุจู ุฃูˆ ุฒุนูŠู…ู ู„ู… ุฃุจูุนู€ู‡ู ู„ุดู‚ูŠู€ู‚ู ุฃูˆ ุตุฏูŠู‚ู ู„ูŠ ุญู…ูŠู…ู ู„ู€ูŠู€ุณ ู…ู€ู†ู€ูŠ ู„ูˆ ุฃุฑุงู‡ ู…ุฑูŽู‘ุฉู‹ ุบูŠู€ุฑูŽ ุณู„ูŠู€ู… ูˆู„ุณุงู†ูŠ ูƒู€ูู€ุคุงุฏูŠ ู†ูŠุทูŽ ู…ู†ู‡ ุจุงู„ู€ุตูŽู‘ู€ู…ู€ูŠู€ู… ูˆุบุฏูŠ ูŠูุดุจู‡ ูŠูˆู…ูŠ ูˆุญุฏูŠุซูŠ ูƒู‚ุฏูŠู…ู€ูŠ ู„ู€ู… ุฃูŽู‡ุจู’ ุบู€ูŠู€ุธูŽ ูƒุฑูŠู… ู„ุง ูˆู„ุง ูƒูŠู’ู€ุฏูŽ ู„ู€ุฆู€ูŠู€ู… ุบุงูŠุชูŠ ุฎุฏู…ุฉู ู‚ูˆู…ูŠ ุจุดู‚ุงุฆูŠ ุฃูˆ ู†ุนูŠู…ูŠ
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ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู†
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ุฑูˆุนุฉ ุงู„ุญูŠุงุฉ ููŠ ุงู„ุนุดู‚ ูˆ ู„ุนู†ุฉ ุงู„ุนุดู‚ ุงู„ุฅุฏู…ุงู† ูุฅู† ุบุงุจ ุฃุญุฏ ุงู„ุญุจูŠุจูŠู† ุชูˆู‚ู ู‚ู„ุจ ุงู„ุฃุฎุฑ ุนู† ุงู„ุฎูู‚ุงู† ูู…ู‡ู…ุง ุชุฑุงุณู„ูˆุง ุฃูˆ ุชุญุฏุซูˆุง ูุงู„ู‚ุฑุจ ูˆุญุฏู‡ ู„ู‡ู…ุง ุงู„ุฃู…ุงู† ู‚ู„ูˆุจุงู‹ ููŠ ุงู„ุดุชุงุช ุชุชุฃู„ู… ูˆ ุฃุดุฌุงู† ุชุตูŠุจ ุจุงู„ู‡ุฐูŠุงู† ุญุฒู† ู…ุณุชู…ุฑ ุจู„ุง ู…ุณูƒู†ุงุช ู„ุง ู…ู†ู‡ ู‡ุฑูˆุจ ุฃูˆ ู†ุณูŠุงู†
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โ€Žุดุฑูˆู‚ ุฅู„ู‡ุงู…ู‰
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ู„ุง ุฏููŠู†ูŽ ู„ู’ู„ูุจุงุบููŠ ูˆุฅู†ู’ ุชูŽุฏูŽูŠูŽู‘ู†ุง ูƒูŽููŽู‰ ุจูู‚ูŽุชู’ู„ู ุงู„ู†ูŽู‘ูู’ุณ ุธูู„ู’ู…ุงู‹ ุจูŽูŠูู‘ู†ุง
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ุฃุญู…ุฏ ุดูˆู‚ูŠ (ุฏูˆู„ ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ูˆุนุธู…ุงุก ุงู„ุฅุณู„ุงู…)
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ู…ุง ุฒู„ู†ุง ู‡ู†ุง ุŒ ุญุชู‰ ู„ูˆ ุงู†ูุตูŽู„ูŽ ุงู„ุฒู…ุงู†ู ุนู† ุงู„ู…ูƒุงู†
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Mahmoud Darwish
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ุนุงู†ู‚ูŠู†ูŠ ูŠุง ุฃู…ูŠ ูุฃุญุดุงุฆูŠ ู…ู…ุฒู‚ุฉ ุจูˆุญุฏุชูŠ ูˆุจุฃุดูŠุงุก ุฃุฎุฑู‰ ุฃุฎุงู ุฃู† ุฃู‚ูˆู„ู‡ุง ู„ุฆู„ุง ุฃูู‚ุฏูƒ.
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ูุงุทู…ุฉ ุณู„ุทุงู† ุงู„ู…ุฒุฑูˆุนูŠ (ุจู„ุง ุนุฒุงุก)
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ู„ุนูŽู…ู’ุฑููƒูŽุŒ ู…ุง ุงู„ุฏู‘ู†ูŠุง ุจุฏุงุฑู ุจูŽู‚ูŽุงุกูุ› ูƒูŽููŽุงูƒูŽ ุจุฏุงุฑู ุงู„ู…ูŽูˆู’ุชู ุฏุงุฑูŽ ููŽู†ูŽุงุกู ูู„ุง ุชูŽุนุดูŽู‚ู ุงู„ุฏู‘ู†ู’ูŠุงุŒ ุฃูุฎูŠูŽู‘ุŒ ูุฅู†ู‘ู…ุง ูŠูุฑูŽู‰ ุนุงุดูู‚ู ุงู„ุฏูู‘ู†ูŠูŽุง ุจุฌูู‡ู’ุฏู ุจูŽู„ุงูŽุกู ุญูŽู„ุงูŽูˆูŽุชูู‡ูŽุง ู…ู…ุฒูŽูˆุฌูŽุฉ ูŒ ุจู…ุฑุงุฑุฉ ู ูˆุฑูŽุงุญุชูู‡ูŽุง ู…ู…ุฒูˆุฌูŽุฉ ูŒ ุจูุนูŽู†ุงุกู ููŽู„ุง ุชูŽู…ุดู ูŠูŽูˆู’ู…ุงู‹ ููŠ ุซููŠุงุจู ู…ูŽุฎูŠู„ูŽุฉ ู ูุฅู†ูŽู‘ูƒูŽ ู…ู† ุทูŠู†ู ุฎู„ู‚ุชูŽ ูˆู…ูŽุงุกู ู„ูŽู‚ูŽู„ู‘ ุงู…ุฑูุคูŒ ุชูŽู„ู‚ุงู‡ู ู„ู„ู‡ ุดุงูƒูุฑุงู‹ุ› ูˆู‚ู„ูŽู‘ ุงู…ุฑุคูŒ ูŠุฑุถูŽู‰ ู„ู‡ู ุจู‚ุถูŽุงุกู ูˆู„ู„ู‘ู‡ู ู†ูŽุนู’ู…ูŽุงุกูŒ ุนูŽู„ูŽูŠู†ุง ุนูŽุธูŠู…ูŽุฉ ูŒุŒ ูˆู„ู„ู‡ู ุฅุญุณุงู†ูŒ ูˆูุถู„ู ุนุทุงุกู ูˆู…ูŽุง ุงู„ุฏู‡ุฑู ูŠูˆู…ุงู‹ ูˆุงุญุฏุงู‹ ููŠ ุงุฎุชูู„ุงูŽููู‡ู ูˆู…ูŽุง ูƒูู„ูู‘ ุฃูŠุงู…ู ุงู„ูุชู‰ ุจุณูŽูˆูŽุงุกู ูˆู…ูŽุง ู‡ููˆูŽ ุฅู„ุงูŽู‘ ูŠูˆู…ู ุจุคุณู ูˆุดุฏุฉ ู ูˆูŠูˆู…ู ุณูุฑูˆุฑู ู…ุฑูŽู‘ุฉ ู‹ ูˆุฑุฎุงุกู ูˆู…ุง ูƒู„ู‘ ู…ุง ู„ู… ุฃุฑู’ุฌู ุฃูุญุฑูŽู…ู ู†ูŽูู’ุนูŽู‡ูุ› ูˆู…ุง ูƒู„ู‘ ู…ุง ุฃุฑู’ุฌูˆู‡ู ุฃู‡ู„ู ุฑูŽุฌุงุกู ุฃูŠูŽุง ุนุฌุจูŽุง ู„ู„ุฏู‡ุฑู ู„ุงูŽ ุจูŽู„ู’ ู„ุฑูŠุจูู‡ู ูŠุฎุฑูู‘ู…ู ุฑูŽูŠู’ุจู ุงู„ุฏูŽู‘ู‡ู’ุฑู ูƒูู„ูŽู‘ ุฅุฎูŽุงุกู ูˆุดูŽุชู‘ุชูŽ ุฑูŽูŠุจู ุงู„ุฏู‘ู‡ุฑู ูƒู„ูŽู‘ ุฌูŽู…ุงุนูŽุฉ ู ูˆูƒูŽุฏู‘ุฑูŽ ุฑูŽูŠุจู ุงู„ุฏู‘ู‡ุฑู ูƒูู„ูŽู‘ ุตูŽููŽุงุกู ุฅุฐุง ู…ุง ุฎูŽู„ูŠู„ูŠ ุญูŽู„ู‘ ููŠ ุจูŽุฑู’ุฒูŽุฎู ุงู„ุจูู„ู‰ ุŒ ููŽุญูŽุณู’ุจููŠ ุจู‡ู ู†ุฃู’ูŠุงู‹ ูˆุจูุนู’ุฏูŽ ู„ูู‚ูŽุงุกู ุฃุฒููˆุฑู ู‚ุจูˆุฑูŽ ุงู„ู…ุชุฑููŠู†ูŽ ููŽู„ุง ุฃุฑูŽู‰ ุจูŽู‡ุงุกู‹ุŒ ูˆูƒุงู†ูˆุงุŒ ู‚ูŽุจู„ูุŒุฃู‡ู„ ุจู‡ุงุกู ูˆูƒู„ูู‘ ุฒูŽู…ุงู†ู ูˆุงุตูู„ูŒ ุจุตูŽุฑูŠู…ูŽุฉ ูุŒ ูˆูƒู„ูู‘ ุฒูŽู…ุงู†ู ู…ูู„ุทูŽููŒ ุจุฌูŽููŽุงุกู ูŠุนูุฒูู‘ ุฏูุงุนู ุงู„ู…ูˆุชู ุนู† ูƒูู„ูู‘ ุญูŠู„ุฉ ู ูˆูŠูŽุนู’ูŠูŽุง ุจุฏุงุกู ุงู„ู…ูŽูˆู’ุชู ูƒู„ูู‘ ุฏูŽูˆุงุกู ูˆู†ูุณู ุงู„ููŽุชูŽู‰ ู…ุณุฑูˆุฑูŽุฉ ูŒ ุจู†ู…ุงุฆูู‡ูŽุง ูˆู„ู„ู†ู‚ู’ุตู ุชู†ู’ู…ููˆ ูƒูู„ูู‘ ุฐุงุชู ู†ู…ูŽุงุกู ูˆูƒู… ู…ู† ู…ููุฏู‹ู‘ู‰ ู…ุงุชูŽ ู„ู… ูŠูŽุฑูŽ ุฃู‡ู’ู„ูŽู‡ู ุญูŽุจูŽูˆู’ู‡ูุŒ ูˆู„ุง ุฌุงุฏููˆุง ู„ู‡ู ุจููุฏุงุกู ุฃู…ุงู…ูŽูƒูŽุŒ ูŠุง ู†ูŽูˆู’ู…ุงู†ูุŒ ุฏุงุฑู ุณูŽุนุงุฏูŽุฉ ู ูŠูŽุฏูˆู…ู ุงู„ุจูŽู‚ูŽุง ููŠู‡ุงุŒ ูˆุฏุงุฑู ุดูŽู‚ุงุกู ุฎูู„ู‚ุชูŽ ู„ุฅุญุฏู‰ ุงู„ุบุงูŠูŽุชูŠู†ูุŒ ูู„ุง ุชู†ู…ู’ุŒ ูˆูƒูู†ู’ ุจูŠู†ูŽ ุฎูˆูู ู…ู†ู‡ูู…ูŽุง ูˆุฑูŽุฌูŽุงุกู ูˆููŠ ุงู„ู†ู‘ุงุณู ุดุฑูŒู‘ ู„ูˆู’ ุจูŽุฏุง ู…ุง ุชูŽุนุงุดูŽุฑููˆุง ูˆู„ูƒูู†ู’ ูƒูŽุณูŽุงู‡ู ุงู„ู„ู‡ู ุซูˆุจูŽ ุบูุทูŽุงุกู
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ุฃุจูˆ ุงู„ุนุชุงู‡ูŠุฉ
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Ego Tripping I was born in the congo I walked to the fertile crescent and built the sphinx I designed a pyramid so tough that a star that only glows every one hundred years falls into the center giving divine perfect light I am bad I sat on the throne drinking nectar with allah I got hot and sent an ice age to europe to cool my thirst My oldest daughter is nefertiti the tears from my birth pains created the nile I am a beautiful woman I gazed on the forest and burned out the sahara desert with a packet of goat's meat and a change of clothes I crossed it in two hours I am a gazelle so swift so swift you can't catch me For a birthday present when he was three I gave my son hannibal an elephant He gave me rome for mother's day My strength flows ever on My son noah built new/ark and I stood proudly at the helm as we sailed on a soft summer day I turned myself into myself and was jesus men intone my loving name All praises All praises I am the one who would save I sowed diamonds in my back yard My bowels deliver uranium the filings from my fingernails are semi-precious jewels On a trip north I caught a cold and blew My nose giving oil to the arab world I am so hip even my errors are correct I sailed west to reach east and had to round off the earth as I went The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid across three continents I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal I cannot be comprehended except by my permission I mean...I...can fly like a bird in the sky...
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Nikki Giovanni
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The Day is Done The day is done, and the darkness Falls from the wings of Night, As a feather is wafted downward From an eagle in his flight. I see the lights of the village Gleam through the rain and the mist, And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me That my soul cannot resist: A feeling of sadness and longing, That is not akin to pain, And resembles sorrow only As the mist resembles the rain. Come, read to me some poem, Some simple and heartfelt lay, That shall soothe this restless feeling, And banish the thoughts of day. Not from the grand old masters, Not from the bards sublime, Whose distant footsteps echo Through the corridors of Time. For, like strains of martial music, Their mighty thoughts suggest Life's endless toil and endeavor; And to-night I long for rest. Read from some humbler poet, Whose songs gushed from his heart, As showers from the clouds of summer, Or tears from the eyelids start; Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies. Such songs have power to quiet The restless pulse of care, And come like the benediction That follows after prayer. Then read from the treasured volume The poem of thy choice, And lend to the rhyme of the poet The beauty of thy voice. And the night shall be filled with music, And the cares, that infest the day, Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs, And as silently steal away.
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (The Belfry of Bruges and Other Poems)
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This is my last letter There will be no others. This is the last grey cloud That will rain on you, After this, you will never again Know the rain. This is the last drop of wine in my cup There will be no more drunkenness. This is the last letter of madness, The last letter of childhood. After me you will no longer know The purity of youth The beauty of madness. I have loved you Like a child running from school Hiding birds and poems In his pockets. With you I was a child of Hallucinations, Distractions, Contradictions, I was a child of poetry and nervous writing. As for you, You were a woman of Eastern ways Waiting for her fate to appear In the lines of the coffee cups. How miserable you are, my lady, After today You won't be in the blue notebooks, In the pages of the letters, In the cry of the candles, In the mailman's bag. You won't be Inside the children's sweets In the colored kites. You won't be in the pain of the letters In the pain of the poems. You have exiled yourself From the gardens of my childhood You are no longer poetry.
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ู†ุฒุงุฑ ู‚ุจุงู†ูŠ (Arabian Love Poems: Full Arabic and English Texts)
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ุชูŽุธุงู‡ูŽุฑ ุจุงู„ุญูุจู‘ู ุญูŽุชู‘ู‰ ูŠูู…ูƒูู†ููƒูŽ ุงู„ุตูู…ูˆุฏ Pretend to love, so you can survive
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Khaled Ibrahim
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ุฅุฐุง ูƒู†ุชู… ุนุจูŠุฏุงู‹ ููŠ ุงู„ุฃุฑุถ ูˆู‚ูŠู„ ู„ูƒู…: ุงุฒู‡ุฏูˆุง ููŠ ุญุฑูŠุฉ ุงู„ุฃุฑุถุŒูููŠ ุงู„ุณู…ุงุก ุชู†ุชุธุฑูƒู… ุญุฑูŠุฉ ู„ุงุชูˆุตู. ุงุฌูŠุจูˆู‡: ู…ู† ู„ู… ูŠุชุฐูˆู‚ ุงู„ุญุฑูŠุฉ ููŠ ุงู„ุฃุฑุถ ู„ู† ูŠุนุฑู ุทุนู…ู‡ุง ููŠ ุงู„ุณู…ุงุก If you are slaves on Earth & you were told: โ€œRenounce Earthly Freedom, for in Heaven awaits you unimaginalbe Freedom!โ€ Answer him: โ€œHe who did not taste Freedom on Earth, will not know it in Heaven!
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Mikhail Naimy (The Book of Mirdad: The strange story of a monastery which was once called The Ark)
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"Who Remembers the Armenians?" I remember them and I ride the nightmare bus with them each night and my coffee, this morning I'm drinking it with them You, murderer - Who remembers you?
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Najwan Darwish (Nothing More to Lose (NYRB Poets))
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ุฅู† ุงู„ุตูŽู‘ุจูŠ ู…ุง ุชูุบุฐูู‘ูŠู‡ ุงุบุชุฐู‰ ูุฃูƒุซุฑ ุนู„ูŠู‡ ููŠ ุงู„ู…ุซุงู„ ุงู„ู…ุญุชูŽุฐูŽู‰
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ุฃุญู…ุฏ ุดูˆู‚ูŠ (ุฏูˆู„ ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ูˆุนุธู…ุงุก ุงู„ุฅุณู„ุงู…)
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ุฃู†ุง ุนุงู„ูู‚ูŒ ุจูŽูŠู†ูŽ ุญูŽูŠุงุฉู ูˆูŽู…ูŽูˆุชู Iโ€™m stuck between life and death
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Khaled Ibrahim
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ุงู„ู…ูˆุชู ุฏูˆู† ุงู„ุนู‡ุฏู ุบุงูŠุฉู ุงู„ูƒุฑู…ู’
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ุฃุญู…ุฏ ุดูˆู‚ูŠ (ุฏูˆู„ ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ูˆุนุธู…ุงุก ุงู„ุฅุณู„ุงู…)
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ููƒุฑ ุจู…ูˆุชูƒ ููŠ ุฃุฑุถ ู†ุดุฃุช ุจู‡ุง ... ูˆุงุชุฑูƒ ู„ู‚ุจุฑูƒ ุฃุฑุถุงู‹ ุทูˆู„ู‡ุง ุจุงุนู
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ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู† (ุงู„ุฃุนู…ุงู„ ุงู„ุดุนุฑูŠุฉ ุงู„ูƒุงู…ู„ุฉ: ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู†)
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Through his eyes she was made of stardust.
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Giovannie de Sadeleer
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ูˆ ุจูู„ู’ุบูŽุฉู ุงู„ุนุงุฑู ุนู†ุฏ ุงู„ุฌูˆุน ุชู„ููุธูู‡ุง ู†ูุณูŒ ู„ู‡ุง ุนู† ู‚ุจูˆู„ู ุงู„ุนุงุฑ ุฑุฏูŽู‘ุงุนู
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ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู† (ุงู„ุฃุนู…ุงู„ ุงู„ุดุนุฑูŠุฉ ุงู„ูƒุงู…ู„ุฉ: ุฅุจุฑุงู‡ูŠู… ุทูˆู‚ุงู†)
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ุฅู„ู‰ ุฃู†ู’ ุชุญุงู…ุชู†ูŠ ุงู„ุนุดูŠุฑุฉ ูƒู„ู‡ุง ูˆุฃููุฑุฏุช ุฅูุฑุงุฏูŽ ุงู„ุจุนูŠุฑู ุงู„ู…ูุนูŽุจูŽู‘ุฏู
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ุทุฑูุฉ ุจู† ุงู„ุนุจุฏ (ุฏูŠูˆุงู† ุทุฑูุฉ ุจู† ุงู„ุนุจุฏ)
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ุญุจูŠุจุชูŠ, ู„ุง ุชุฎุทุฆูŠ ูู„ู† ูŠุจู‚ู‰ ุฃุญุฏ ุณูˆุงูŠุง ุฅุฐุง ู…ุง ุจูƒุช ุงู„ุณู…ุงุก ุญุจูŠุจุชูŠ, ู„ุง ุชุฎุทุฆูŠ ุฅู† ุงู„ู…ุทุฑ ุจุนุถ ุจูƒุงูŠุง ูˆุฅู†ู†ูŠ ุฑุฌู„ ุงู„ุดุชุงุก ู„ุง ูŠุตุจุญ ุงู„ูŠุงุณู…ูŠู† ูŠุงุณู…ูŠู†ุงู‹ ู…ุง ู„ู… ูŠู…ุฑ ุจูŠู† ูŠุฏูŠุง ูุฃู†ุง ุฃู…ู†ุญู‡ ุงู„ูƒุจุฑูŠุงุก ุฃูŠ ุฅู…ุฑุฃุฉ ุนุงุฏูŠุฉ ุฅุฐุง ู…ุง ุฑุฃุช ุนูŠู†ูŠุง ุชุตุจุญ ุฃุฌู…ู„ ุงู„ู†ุณุงุก ูƒู„ ุงู„ูŠุงุณู…ูŠู† ูŠู…ูˆุช ุดุชุงุกู‹ ุฅู„ุง ูŠุงุณู…ูŠู†ูŠ ูุฅู†ู‡ ู„ุง ูŠู…ุงุฑุณ ุงู„ุงู†ุญู†ุงุก
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ุฒุงู‡ูŠ ุฑุณุชู…
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ุฃุญุชุงุฌ ุฅู„ู‰ ู…ุณุทุฑุฉ ุฃุตู„ ุนู„ูŠู‡ุง ุฅู„ู‰ ุงู„ุถูุฉ ุงู„ุฃุฎุฑู‰ ู…ู† ู‡ุงู…ุด ุงู„ู†ุณูŠุงู† ุฑูŠุซู…ุง ูŠุชูƒูู„ ุฌู…ุฑ ุงู„ูˆู‚ุช ุจุฅุญุฑุงู‚ ู‡ุฐู‡ ุงู„ุตูุญุฉ
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ูุงุทู…ุฉ ุฅุญุณุงู† ุงู„ู„ูˆุงุชูŠ
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How easy was it to just grab a handful of you before you dissolved? If someone asks you tell them loving you was the closest I came to seeing God.
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Ayushee Ghoshal
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ุฑุบู…ูŽ ุงู†ู‘ ุงู„ู‚ุทุงุฑ ู„ุง ูŠุณูŠุฑู ุงู„ุง ุงู„ู‰ ู‡ุงูˆูŠุฉ ูƒู…ุง ูƒู„ู‘ ุงู„ุงุดูŠุงุก ู„ูƒู†ูŠ ุฑูƒุจุช ูƒุฃูŠ ุงุนู…ู‰ ุฃูˆ ู…ุฌู†ูˆู† ู„ุงูŠู‡ู… ุดุนุฑูƒ ููŠ ุงู„ุฑูŠุญ ูˆุตุฏุฑูŠ ู…ูุชูˆุญ ู„ู„ูˆุฑุฏุฉ ูˆุงู„ุณูƒูŠู†
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ุนู„ูŠ ู…ุญู…ูˆุฏ ุฎุถูŠุฑ
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ูŠุนุจุฑ ุงู„ุนุงู…ู ูˆูŠุฃุชูŠ ุงู„ุนุงู…ูุŒ ู„ูƒู† .. ุฃู†ุช ุชุจู‚ูŠู† ูˆุฌูˆุฏุงู‹.. ูˆุฃู…ู„ ูˆุทุฑูŠู‚ุงู‹ ู†ุงุจุถุงู‹ ุจุงู„ู„ู…ุณุฉ ุงู„ุฃูˆู„ู‰ุŒ ุนู…ูŠู‚ุงู‹ ูƒุงู„ุฃุฒู„ ูˆุดุนุงุนุงู‹ ุซุงู‚ุจุงู‹ ุฃูู‚ ุญูŠุงุชูŠ .. ุณุงูƒุจุงู‹ ููŠ ุนู…ู‚ ุฐุงุชูŠ ู‚ุทุฑุฉ ุงู„ุถูˆุก .. ุงู„ูˆุญูŠุฏุฉ .. ูˆุฃู…ุงู† ุงู„ุฃุฑุถ .. ู„ู„ู†ูุณ ุงู„ุดุฑูŠุฏุฉ ูˆู‡ูŠ ุชุฑุชุงุญ ุฅู„ู‰ ุดุงุทู‰ุก ุฏู†ูŠุงู†ุง ุงู„ุฌุฏูŠุฏุฉ ูˆู‡ูŠ ุชู‡ุชุฒูู‘ ุฅู„ู‰ ู„ูŽูˆู’ู†ู ุงู„ู…ุณุงูุงุช ุงู„ู…ุฏูŠุฏุฉ ู„ุญุธุฉ ุชูˆู„ุฏ ููŠู†ุงุŒ ูƒุงู†ู‡ู…ุงุฑ ุงู„ุณูŠู„ ุŒ ูƒุงู„ู„ู…ุญู ุงู„ู…ูุดุนูู‘ ุงู„ุถูˆุกุŒ ูƒุงู„ุฑุคูŠุง ุงู„ุนุฌูŠุจุฉ.. ูŠุนุจุฑู ุงู„ุนุงู…ูุŒ ูˆู„ูƒู†ู’ ุฃู†ุช ุชุจู‚ูŠู†ูŽ ุญูŠุงุชูŠ ูˆุณู†ูŠู†ูŠ ุงู„ู‚ุงุฏู…ุงุชู ุŒ ููŠ ุบุฏูŠุŒ ูˆุงู„ุฐูƒุฑูŠุงุช!
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ูุงุฑูˆู‚ ุดูˆุดุฉ
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ุงู„ุนู‚ู„ ู„ูŠุณ ูˆุนุงุก ูŠุฌุจ ู…ู„ุคู‡ ุจู„ ู†ุงุฑ ูŠุฌุจ ุงูŠู‚ุงุฏู‡ุง The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire that must be kindled.
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Abbas Mahmud Al-Aqqad
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ูˆุญูƒู…ูŽ ุงู„ู„ู‡ู ุจู‡ุฌุฑุฉู ุงู„ูˆุทู†ู’ ูˆุทุงู„ู…ุง ุงุจุชู„ู‰ ุจู‡ุง ุฃู‡ู„ูŽ ุงู„ููุทูŽู†ู’ ููƒู†ุช ุฃุณุชุนุฏููŠ ุนู„ู‰ ุงู„ู‡ู…ูˆู… ุจู†ุงุช ูููƒุฑู ู„ูŠุณ ุจุงู„ู…ู„ูˆู…ู ุฃุณุชุฏูุน ุงู„ูุฑุงุบ ูˆุงู„ุนุทูŽุงู„ู‡ ูˆุจุทู„ูŒ ู…ู† ูŠู‚ุชู„ู ุงู„ุจูŽุทุงู„ู‡ู’
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ุฃุญู…ุฏ ุดูˆู‚ูŠ (ุฏูˆู„ ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ูˆุนุธู…ุงุก ุงู„ุฅุณู„ุงู…)
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ุทุงู‚ุชูŠ ู„ู„ูƒุชุงุจุฉ ุทุงุบูŠุฉ ุชุณุชูˆุทู† ูƒู„ ุญุถุงุฑุงุชูŠ ู„ุชูŽุณุชุจูŠุญ ุฏู…ุงุฆู‰ ููŠ ูƒู„ ุญุฑู
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ู…ู‡ุฑุฉ ุงู„ุดุญูŠ
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ูˆ ูƒูƒู„ ุตุจูŠุญุฉุŒ ุฃู†ุชุธุฑ ุงู„ุดุฑูˆู‚ ู„ุนู„ู‡ ูŠุฒู ู„ูŠ ุงุดุฑุงู‚ุฉุŒ ูู„ุง ู‡ูŠ ุฃุดุฑู‚ุช ุจู…ุง ุฃุฑูŠุฏุŒ ูˆ ู„ุง ู‡ูŠ ุฃุดุฑู‚ุช ู…ู† ู…ุบุฑุจู‡ุง ........
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Nabil TOUSSI
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ู…ูู† ูƒูˆู‘ุฉ ุฒู†ุฒุงู†ุชูŠ ุงู„ุตูู‘ุบุฑู‰ ุฃุจุตุฑู ุฃุดุฌุงุฑุงู‹ ุชูŽุจุณู…ู ู„ูŠ ูˆุณุทูˆุญุงู‹ ูŠู…ู„ุฃู‡ุง ุฃู‡ู„ูŠ ูˆู†ูˆุงูุฐูŽ ุชุจูƒูŠ ูˆุชุตู„ูŠ ู…ู† ุฃุฌู„ูŠ ู…ู† ูƒููˆู‘ุฉู ุฒู†ุฒุงู†ุชูŠ ุงู„ุตุบุฑู‰ ุฃุจุตุฑู ุฒู†ุฒุงู†ูŽุชูŽูƒูŽ ุงู„ูƒูุจุฑู‰
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Samih Al-Qasim
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ุฃู†ู‘ูƒ ุฃุชู ู…ู† ู‡ู†ุงูƒ ู…ุง ุจูŠู† ู…ูˆุฌุฉู ุชุณุงู…ุฑ ุฎุตุฑูŠ ูˆู…ูˆุฌุฉู ุชู„ู‘ูู†ูŠ ูˆุดู…ุณ ุญุฒูŠุฑุงู† ุงู„ุจุฑุชู‚ุงู„ูŠุฉ.. ุฏู…ุนุฉ ุชุญุฑู‚ ุฎุฏู‘ูŠ ูˆุชุบุฑู‚ู†ูŠ.. ู„ุฃู†ู†ูŠ ู„ูˆู‡ู„ุฉู ุชุฎูŠู‘ู„ ู„ูŠ ุฃู†ูƒ ุขุชู ู…ู† ู‡ู†ุงูƒ.. ู…ุงุดูŠุงู‹ ุญุงููŠุงู‹ ุนู„ู‰ ุงู„ู…ุงุก ู„ุชู„ู‚ูŠ ุนู„ูŠู‘ ุงู„ุชุญูŠุฉ.
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Malak El Halabi
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ุญุชู‰ ุดุงุนุฑ ุงู„ู†ุจูŠ ( ุญุณู‘ุงู† ุจู† ุซุงุจุช ) ู‚ุงู„ ูู‰ ุตุงุญุจู‡ ( ูˆ ู„ู‰ ุตุงุญุจ ู…ู† ุจู†ู‰ ุงู„ุดูŠุตุจุงู† ... ูุทูŽูˆุฑุง ุฃู‚ูˆู„ ูˆ ุทูˆุฑู‹ุง ู‡ูˆู‡ ) ุŒ ูˆ ุจู†ูŠ ( ุงู„ุดูŠุตุจุงู† ) ู…ู† ู‚ุจุงุฆู„ ุงู„ุฌู† ุŒ ูŠู‚ุตุฏ ุฃู†ู‡ู…ุง ูŠุชู†ุงูˆุจุงู† ุนู„ู‰ ู‚ูˆู„ ุงู„ุดุนุฑ ูˆ ุงู„ุฃุจูŠุงุช ุŒ ูˆ ูƒู„ ู‡ุฐุง ู…ุนุฑูˆู ู„ู„ุนุฑุจุŒ ู„ูƒู† ุชุทูˆุฑ ุงู„ุฒู…ู† ุฌุนู„ ุงู„ุฅูŠู…ุงู† ุจุงู„ุฌู† ูŠุถุนู ุดูŠุฆุง ูุดูŠุฆู‹ุง ู„ู„ุฃุณู..
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ุนุตุงู… ู…ู†ุตูˆุฑ (ุดูŠุทุงู† ุดุนุฑูŠ)
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ุนู†ุฏู…ุง ูŠุฎุชู„ุท ูƒู„ ุดูŠุก ุงู„ุถูˆุก ูˆู†ูˆุงูุฐ ุจูŠุชูŠ ุฃุนุฑู ุจุฃู†ูŠ ูˆุงู„ุตู…ุช ูุญุณุจ ุจู„ุง ุนุฒุงุก.
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ูุงุทู…ุฉ ุณู„ุทุงู† ุงู„ู…ุฒุฑูˆุนูŠ (ุจู„ุง ุนุฒุงุก)
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ุตู‚ุฑ ู‚ุฑูŠุด ุฃู‚ุณู…ุชู’ ุฃู…ุชูŠ ุฃู†ู‡ุง ู…ู†ุญุชู†ูŠ ุงู„ุฃู…ุงู†ู’ ุฃู‚ุณู…ุชู’ ุฃู…ุชูŠ ุซู… ูƒุงู† ุฃู†ู‡ุง ู‚ุชู„ุช ุฒูˆุฌุชูŠ ูˆุฃู†ุง ุฃู‚ุทุน ุงู„ู†ู‡ุฑุŒ ู„ุงุณูŠู .. ู„ุงุญูˆู„ .. ู„ุงุตูˆู„ุฌุงู† ุฎุจู‘ุฑูŠ ูŠุงุฑููˆู ุงู„ุฑุคู‰ ุงู„ู‚ุงู†ูŠู‡ ุฎุจุฑูŠ ุฃู…ุชูŠ ุฃู…ุชูŠ ุงู„ุฎุงุทูŠู‡ ุฃู†ู†ูŠ ู„ู… ุฃุจุน ุฒูˆุฌุชูŠ ู„ู… ุฃุจุนู‡ุง .. ุจุฃู†ุฏู„ุณู ุซุงู†ูŠู‡ ..
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Samih Al-Qasim (ุงู„ู…ูˆุช ุงู„ูƒุจูŠุฑ)
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ูƒุงู† ุจูˆุฏู‘ูŠ ู…ุงุชุช ุงู„ุณู†ุงุจู„. ุฃุฑุถ ุงู„ู„ู‡ ุชุญุชุถุฑู.. ููŠ ูŠุฏูƒุŒ ูˆุฑุฏุฉ ุดู‡ูŠุฉ ุชุฏุนูˆู†ูŠ ู„ุบูŠุซู ู…ู†ุชุธุฑู.. ูƒุงู† ุจูˆุฏู‘ูŠ..
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Malak El Halabi (ุณู…ูŠุฑ)
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ู‚ู„ุจูŠ ูŠุชูˆู‚ ู„ุงุจุชุณุงู…ุชู‡ุง'' - ุฌูŠูˆูุงู†ูŠ ุฏูŠ ุณุงุฏูŠู„ูŠุฑ ''My heart longs for her smile.
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Giovannie de Sadeleer
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ูˆูŽู„ูŠ ุฏูˆู†ูŽูƒูู… ุฃูŽู‡ู„ูŽูˆู†ูŽ ุณูŠุฏูŒ ุนูŽู…ูŽู„ูŽู‘ุณูŒ ูˆูŽุฃูŽุฑู‚ูŽุทู ุฒูู‡ู„ูˆู„ูŒ ูˆูŽุนูŽุฑูุงุกู ุฌูŽูŠุฃูŽู„ู
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ุงู„ุดู†ูุฑูŠ (ุฏูŠูˆุงู† ุงู„ุดู†ูุฑูŠ)
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ุชู…ุดูŠ ูˆุชู…ุดูŠ ู„ุง ู„ุดูŠุกู ุณูˆู‰ ุฃู†ู’ ุชูƒูˆู†ูŽ ุชุงุฆู‡ุงู‹ ูˆู…ูู†ูุฑุฏุงู‹ ูˆุญูุฑู‘ูŽุงู‹
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ุนู„ูŠ ู…ุญู…ูˆุฏ ุฎุถูŠุฑ (ุณู„ูŠู„ ุงู„ุบูŠู…ุฉ)
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ุฑุฌู„ูŒ ููŠ ุฎุฑูŠู ุงู„ุนู…ุฑ ุดุนุฑู‡ ุฑู…ุงุฏูŠู‘ ูˆุฃุดุนุซ ูƒุญูŠุงุชูŠ... ูŠู‚ู ุชุญุช ุดู…ุณู ู„ุง ุชู…ุณู‘ู‡ ุชุญุช ู…ุทุฑู ู„ุง ูŠุจู„ู‘ู„ู‡ ูˆููŠ ุนูŠูˆู†ู‡ ู…ุฆุงุช ุงู„ุบูŠูˆู… ู…ุฆุงุช ุงู„ุบูŠูˆู… ูƒูŠ ูŠู…ุทุฑ ูƒู„ู…ุฉ ูˆู„ุง ูŠู‚ูˆู„ู‡ุง ุฏุงุฎู„ ู†ุธุฑุชู‡ ุงู„ุชูŠ ุชู„ูˆุญ ู„ู„ุญุฒู† ูƒุจุงุจ ู…ุฎู„ูˆุน ุชุฑู‚ุฏ ุญูŠุงุชูŠ.
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Malak El Halabi
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Dearly I yearn for my motherโ€™s bread, My motherโ€™s coffee, Motherโ€™s brushing touch. Childhood is raised in me, Day upon day in me. And I so cherish life Because if I died My motherโ€™s tears would shame me.
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Mahmoud Darwish
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ู‡ูŽุฐุง ุงู„ู‘ุฐูŠ ุชูŽุนุฑููู ุงู„ุจูŽุทู’ุญุงุกู ูˆูŽุทู’ุฃุชูŽู‡ูุŒ ูˆูŽุงู„ุจูŽูŠู’ุชู ูŠุนู’ุฑูููู‡ู ูˆูŽุงู„ุญูู„ูู‘ ูˆูŽุงู„ุญูŽุฑูŽู…ู ู‡ุฐุง ุงุจู†ู ุฎูŽูŠุฑู ุนูุจุงุฏู ุงู„ู„ู‡ ูƒูู„ู‘ู‡ูู…ูุŒ ู‡ุฐุง ุงู„ุชู‘ู‚ูŠู‘ ุงู„ู†ู‘ู‚ูŠู‘ ุงู„ุทู‘ุงู‡ูุฑู ุงู„ุนูŽู„ูŽู…ู ู‡ุฐุง ุงุจู†ู ูุงุทู…ูŽุฉูุŒ ุฅู†ู’ ูƒูู†ู’ุชูŽ ุฌุงู‡ูู„ูŽู‡ูุŒ ุจูุฌูŽุฏู‘ู‡ู ุฃู†ู’ุจููŠูŽุงุกู ุงู„ู„ู‡ ู‚ูŽุฏู’ ุฎูุชูู…ููˆุง ูˆูŽู„ูŽูŠู’ุณูŽ ู‚ูŽูˆู’ู„ููƒูŽ: ู…ูŽู† ู‡ุฐุงุŸ ุจุถูŽุงุฆุฑูู‡ุŒ ุงู„ุนูุฑู’ุจู ุชูŽุนุฑููู ู…ู† ุฃู†ูƒูŽุฑู’ุชูŽ ูˆูŽุงู„ุนูŽุฌู…ู ูƒูู„ู’ุชุง ูŠูŽุฏูŽูŠู’ู‡ู ุบููŠูŽุงุซูŒ ุนูŽู…ูŽู‘ ู†ูŽูุนูู‡ูู…ูŽุงุŒ ูŠูุณู’ุชูŽูˆู’ูƒูŽูุงู†ูุŒ ูˆูŽู„ุง ูŠูŽุนุฑููˆู‡ูู…ุง ุนูŽุฏูŽู…ู ุณูŽู‡ู’ู„ู ุงู„ุฎูŽู„ููŠู‚ูŽุฉูุŒ ู„ุง ุชูุฎุดู‰ ุจูŽูˆูŽุงุฏูุฑูู‡ูุŒ ูŠูŽุฒููŠู†ูู‡ู ุงุซู†ุงู†ู: ุญูุณู†ู ุงู„ุฎูŽู„ู‚ู ูˆูŽุงู„ุดู‘ูŠู…ู ุญูŽู…ู‘ุงู„ู ุฃุซู‚ุงู„ู ุฃู‚ูˆูŽุงู…ูุŒ ุฅุฐุง ุงูุชูุฏูุญููˆุงุŒ ุญูู„ูˆู ุงู„ุดู‘ู…ุงุฆู„ูุŒ ุชูŽุญู„ููˆ ุนู†ุฏูŽู‡ู ู†ูŽุนูŽู…ู ู…ุง ู‚ุงู„: ู„ุง ู‚ุทูู‘ุŒ ุฅู„ุงู‘ ููŠ ุชูŽุดูŽู‡ูู‘ุฏูู‡ูุŒ ู„ูŽูˆู’ู„ุง ุงู„ุชู‘ุดูŽู‡ู‘ุฏู ูƒุงู†ูŽุชู’ ู„ุงุคู‡ู ู†ูŽุนูŽู…ู ุนูŽู…ูŽู‘ ุงู„ุจูŽุฑููŠู‘ุฉูŽ ุจุงู„ุฅุญุณุงู†ูุŒ ูุงู†ู’ู‚ูŽุดูŽุนูŽุชู’ ุนูŽู†ู’ู‡ุง ุงู„ุบูŽูŠุงู‡ูุจู ูˆุงู„ุฅู…ู’ู„ุงู‚ู ูˆุงู„ุนูŽุฏูŽู…ู ุฅุฐ ุฑูŽุฃุชู’ู‡ู ู‚ูุฑูŽูŠู’ุดูŒ ู‚ุงู„ ู‚ุงุฆูู„ูู‡ุง: ุฅู„ู‰ ู…ูŽูƒูŽุงุฑูู…ู ู‡ุฐุง ูŠูŽู†ู’ุชูŽู‡ููŠ ุงู„ูƒูŽุฑูŽู…ู ูŠูุบู’ุถููŠ ุญูŽูŠุงุกู‹ุŒ ูˆูŽูŠูุบุถูŽู‰ ู…ู† ู…ูŽู‡ุงุจูŽุชูู‡ุŒ ููŽู…ูŽุง ูŠููƒูŽู„ูŽู‘ู…ู ุฅู„ุงู‘ ุญููŠู†ูŽ ูŠูŽุจู’ุชูŽุณูู…ู ุจููƒูŽูู‘ู‡ู ุฎูŽูŠู’ุฒูุฑูŽุงู†ูŒ ุฑููŠุญูู‡ู ุนูŽุจูู‚ูŒุŒ ู…ู† ูƒูŽูู‘ ุฃุฑู’ูˆูŽุนูŽุŒ ููŠ ุนูุฑู’ู†ููŠู†ูู‡ู ุดู…ูŽู…ู ูŠูŽูƒุงุฏู ูŠูู…ู’ุณููƒูู‡ู ุนูุฑู’ูุงู†ูŽ ุฑูŽุงุญูŽุชูู‡ูุŒ ุฑููƒู’ู†ู ุงู„ุญูŽุทููŠู…ู ุฅุฐุง ู…ุง ุฌูŽุงุกูŽ ูŠูŽุณุชูŽู„ูู…ู ุงู„ู„ู‡ ุดูŽุฑู‘ููŽู‡ู ู‚ูุฏู’ู…ุงู‹ุŒ ูˆูŽุนูŽุธู‘ู…ูŽู‡ูุŒ ุฌูŽุฑูŽู‰ ุจูุฐุงูƒูŽ ู„ูŽู‡ู ููŠ ู„ูŽูˆู’ุญูู‡ู ุงู„ู‚ูŽู„ูŽู…ู ุฃูŠูู‘ ุงู„ุฎูŽู„ุงุฆูู‚ู ู„ูŽูŠู’ุณูŽุชู’ ููŠ ุฑูู‚ูŽุงุจูู‡ูู…ูุŒ ู„ุฃูˆู‘ู„ููŠู‘ุฉู ู‡ูŽุฐุงุŒ ุฃูˆู’ ู„ูŽู‡ู ู†ูุนู…ู ู…ูŽู† ูŠูŽุดูƒูุฑู ุงู„ู„ู‡ ูŠูŽุดูƒูุฑู’ ุฃูˆู‘ู„ููŠู‘ุฉูŽ ุฐุงุ› ูุงู„ุฏูู‘ูŠู†ู ู…ูู† ุจูŽูŠุชู ู‡ุฐุง ู†ูŽุงู„ูŽู‡ู ุงู„ุฃูู…ูŽู…ู ูŠูู†ู…ู‰ ุฅู„ู‰ ุฐูุฑู’ูˆูŽุฉู ุงู„ุฏู‘ูŠู†ู ุงู„ุชูŠ ู‚ูŽุตูุฑูŽุชู’ ุนูŽู†ู‡ุง ุงู„ุฃูƒููู‘ุŒ ูˆุนู† ุฅุฏุฑุงูƒูู‡ุง ุงู„ู‚ูŽุฏูŽู…ู ู…ูŽู†ู’ ุฌูŽุฏูู‘ู‡ู ุฏุงู† ููŽุถู’ู„ู ุงู„ุฃู†ู’ุจููŠุงุกู ู„ูŽู‡ูุ› ูˆูŽููŽุถู’ู„ู ุฃูู…ู‘ุชูู‡ู ุฏุงู†ูŽุชู’ ู„ูŽู‡ู ุงู„ุฃูู…ูŽู…ู ู…ูุดู’ุชูŽู‚ู‘ุฉูŒ ู…ูู†ู’ ุฑูŽุณููˆู„ู ุงู„ู„ู‡ ู†ูŽุจู’ุนูŽุชูู‡ูุŒ ุทูŽุงุจูŽุชู’ ู…ูŽุบุงุฑูุณูู‡ู ูˆุงู„ุฎููŠู…ู ูˆูŽุงู„ุดู‘ูŠูŽู…ู ูŠูŽู†ู’ุดูŽู‚ู‘ ุซูŽูˆู’ุจู ุงู„ุฏู‘ุฌูŽู‰ ุนู† ู†ูˆุฑู ุบุฑู‘ุชูู‡ู ูƒุงู„ุดู…ุณ ุชูŽู†ุฌุงุจู ุนู† ุฅุดุฑูŽุงู‚ูู‡ุง ุงู„ุธูู‘ู„ูŽู…ู ู…ู† ู…ูŽุนุดูŽุฑู ุญูุจูู‘ู‡ูู…ู’ ุฏููŠู†ูŒุŒ ูˆูŽุจูุบู’ุถูู‡ูู…ู ูƒููู’ุฑูŒุŒ ูˆูŽู‚ูุฑู’ุจูู‡ูู…ู ู…ูŽู†ุฌู‰ู‹ ูˆูŽู…ูุนุชูŽุตูŽู…ู ู…ูู‚ูŽุฏูŽู‘ู…ูŒ ุจุนุฏ ุฐููƒู’ุฑู ุงู„ู„ู‡ ุฐููƒู’ุฑูู‡ูู…ูุŒ ููŠ ูƒู„ู‘ ุจูŽุฏู’ุกูุŒ ูˆูŽู…ูŽุฎุชูˆู…ูŒ ุจู‡ ุงู„ูƒูŽู„ูู…ู ุฅู†ู’ ุนูุฏู‘ ุฃู‡ู’ู„ู ุงู„ุชู‘ู‚ูŽู‰ ูƒุงู†ูˆุง ุฃุฆูู…ู‘ุชูŽู‡ู…ู’ุŒ ุฃูˆู’ ู‚ูŠู„: ยซู…ู† ุฎูŠุฑู ุฃู‡ู„ ุงู„ุฃุฑู’ุถุŸยป ู‚ูŠู„: ู‡ู… ู„ุง ูŠูŽุณุชูŽุทูŠุนู ุฌูŽูˆูŽุงุฏูŒ ุจูŽุนุฏูŽ ุฌููˆุฏูู‡ูู…ูุŒ ูˆูŽู„ุง ูŠูุฏุงู†ููŠู‡ูู…ู ู‚ูŽูˆู’ู…ูŒุŒ ูˆูŽุฅู†ู’ ูƒูŽุฑูู…ููˆุง ู‡ูู…ู ุงู„ุบููŠููˆุซูุŒ ุฅุฐุง ู…ุง ุฃุฒู’ู…ูŽุฉูŒ ุฃุฒูŽู…ูŽุชู’ุŒ ูˆูŽุงู„ุฃูุณุฏู ุฃูุณุฏู ุงู„ุดู‘ุฑูŽู‰ุŒ ูˆูŽุงู„ุจุฃุณู ู…ุญุชุฏู…ู ู„ุง ูŠูู†ู‚ูุตู ุงู„ุนูุณุฑู ุจูŽุณุทุงู‹ ู…ู† ุฃูƒููู‘ู‡ูู…ูุ› ุณููŠู‘ุงู†ู ุฐู„ูƒ: ุฅู† ุฃุซูŽุฑูŽูˆู’ุง ูˆูŽุฅู†ู’ ุนูŽุฏูู…ููˆุง ูŠูุณุชุฏู’ููŽุนู ุงู„ุดุฑูู‘ ูˆูŽุงู„ุจูŽู„ู’ูˆูŽู‰ ุจุญูุจู‘ู‡ูู…ูุŒ ูˆูŽูŠูุณู’ุชูŽุฑูŽุจู‘ ุจูู‡ู ุงู„ุฅุญู’ุณูŽุงู†ู ูˆูŽุงู„ู†ูู‘ุนูŽู…ู
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ุงู„ูุฑุฒุฏู‚ (ุฏูŠูˆุงู† ุงู„ูุฑุฒุฏู‚)
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I actually chafe at describing myself as masculine. For one thing, masculinity itself is such an expansive territory, encompassing boundaries of nationality, race, and class. Most importantly, individuals blaze their own trails across this landscape. And itโ€™s hard for me to label the intricate matrix of my gender as simply masculine. To me, branding individual self-expression as simply feminine or masculine is like asking poets: Do you write in English or Spanish? The question leaves out the possibilities that the poetry is woven in Cantonese or Ladino, Swahili or Arabic. The question deals only with the system of language that the poet has been taught. It ignores the words each writer hauls up, hand over hand, from a common well. The music words make when finding themselves next to each other for the first time. The silences echoing in the space between ideas. The powerful winds of passion and belief that move the poet to write.
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Leslie Feinberg
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I Will Rise One Day I will rise one day and speak it I, the Kurd, will rise one day and speak it I, the Amazigh, your voice will rise one day I, the Arab you know will rise one day and speak it: They've gone now, Saladin
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Najwan Darwish (Nothing More to Lose (NYRB Poets))
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Dreamers don't abandon their dreams, they flare and continue the life they have in the dreamโ€ฆtell me how you lived your dream in a certain place and I'll tell you who you are. And now, as you awaken, remember if you have wronged your dream. And if you have, then remember the last dance of the swan.
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Mahmoud Darwish (Now, as You Awaken)
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A great poet must have the ear of a wild Arab listening in the silent desert, the eye of a North American Indian tracing the footsteps of an enemy upon the leaves that strew the forest, the touch of a blind man feeling the face of a darling child.
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Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear BY MOSAB ABU TOHA For Alicia M. Quesnel, MD i When you open my ear, touch it gently. My motherโ€™s voice lingers somewhere inside. Her voice is the echo that helps recover my equilibrium when I feel dizzy during my attentiveness. You may encounter songs in Arabic, poems in English I recite to myself, or a song I chant to the chirping birds in our backyard. When you stitch the cut, donโ€™t forget to put all these back in my ear. Put them back in order as you would do with books on your shelf.
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Mosab Abu Toha (Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza)
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ู„ู‚ุฏ ู‚ู…ู†ุง ุจู…ุง ุฃุญุจุจู†ูŽุง ูู…ุง ุธู„ู„ู†ูŽุง ู…ุณูƒ ุงู„ุนู‚ู„ ุนู„ู…ูŒ ู†ุญู† ุจู‡ ูุฒู†ุงูŽ
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Noureddine Rahmani
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because you are die surface of my sky. My body is the land, the place for you... the pigeons fly the pigeons come down...
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Mahmoud Darwish
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ุณุฃุฑุชุงุญู ุŒ ู„ู… ูŠูƒู ู…ุนู†ู‰ ูˆุฌูˆุฏูŠ ูุถูˆู„ู‹ุง ุŒ ูˆูŽ ู„ุง ูƒุงู† ุนู…ู€ู€ู€ู€ุฑูŠ ุณุฏูŽู‰ ูู…ุง ู…ู€ุงุช ู…ูŽู† ููŠ ุงู„ุฒู…ู€ู€ู€ุงู†ู ุฃุญุจู‘ูŽ ุŒ ูˆูŽ ู„ุง ู…ุงุช ู…ูŽู† ุบุฑู‘ุฏูŽุง
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ู†ุฒุงุฑ ู‚ุจุงู†ูŠ (ู‚ุงู„ุช ู„ูŠ ุงู„ุณู…ุฑุงุก)
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ู‡ููˆูŽ ุงู„ุฑุฌู„ ุงู„ุฐูŠ ู„ู† ูŠูƒุฑูู‘ุฑู‡ ู‡ูŽุฐูŽุง ุงู„ุฏู‡ุฑ ู…ุฑู‘ุชูŠู†..
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Malak El Halabi
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Just like you, my country cannot hear me: She's made of bronze and I can no longer reach her heart (from Thoughts on the Statue of Talaat Harb)
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Najwan Darwish (Nothing More to Lose (NYRB Poets))
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Perfume the literature you write with only the finest inks, for literature works are luscious girls, and ink their precious perfume. โ€”Arabic saying ~800 AD
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Tim Mackintosh-Smith (Arabs: A 3,000-Year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires)
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You do not die because you are created or because you have a body You die because you are the face of the future. The flower that tempted the wind to carry its perfume Died yesterday.
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Adonis (Victims of a Map: A Bilingual Anthology of Arabic Poetry)
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ููŠุง ู‚ุงุฑุฆูŠ ุŒ ูŠุง ุฑููŠู‚ูŽ ุงู„ุทุฑูŠู‚ู ุฃู†ุง ุงู„ุดู‘ูŽู€ูุชุงู†ู ุŒ ูˆ ุฃู†ุชูŽ ุงู„ุตู€ุฏู‰ ุณู€ู€ู€ู€ู€ุฃู„ุชูƒ ุจุงู„ู„ู‡ .. ูƒู† ู†ุงุนู€ู€ู€ู€ู€ู€ู€ู…ู‹ุง ุฅุฐุง ู…ุง ุถู…ู…ุชูŽ ุญุฑูˆููŠ ุบู€ุฏู‹ุง ุชุฐูƒู‘ู€ู€ู€ู€ุฑ - ูˆูŽ ุฃู†ุช ุชู…ู€ูู€ู€ู€ุฑู‘ู ุนู„ู€ู€ู€ู€ู€ูŠู‡ุง ุนุฐุงุจูŽ ุงู„ุญุฑูˆูู ู„ูƒูŽูŠู’ ุชูˆุฌูŽุฏูŽุง
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ู†ุฒุงุฑ ู‚ุจุงู†ูŠ
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Tenรญa por cierto, antes de conocer a este eunuco, que las cabezas eran asiento de la inteligencia, si bien al contemplar su entendimiento comprendรญ que la inteligencia estรก toda en los cojones.
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Abul Tayib Al-Mutanabbi (Poesรญa รกrabe clรกsica (Mitos Poesรญa #22))
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Few of the Arabs could read, but beauty of speech was a virtue which all Arab parents desired for their children. A man's worth was largely assessed by his eloquence, and the crown of eloquence was poetry.
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Martin Lings (MUHAMMAD: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources)
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The word qurโ€™an means โ€œrecitation.โ€ It was not designed for private perusal, but like most scriptures, it was meant to be read aloud, and the sound was an essential part of the sense. Poetry was important in Arabia. The poet was the spokesman, social historian, and cultural authority of his tribe, and over the years the Arabs had learned how to listen to a recitation and had developed a highly sophisticated critical ear.
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Karen Armstrong (Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (Eminent Lives))
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Broken tree branches Scattered flowers Bent street light poles Cut electricity lines Dead birds But the weather is beautiful, and the breeze is refreshingโ€ฆ My heart is full of an after-storm peace and tranquilityโ€ฆ The real tranquility is the one that follows not precedes the stormโ€ฆ (July 1, 2015)
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Louis Yako (ุฃู†ุง ุฒู‡ุฑุฉ ุจุฑูŠุฉ [I am a Wildflower])
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When you find a man Who transforms Every part of you Into poetry, Who makes each one of your hairs Into a poem, When you find a man Capable, As lam, Of bathing and adorning you With poetry, I will beg you To follow him without hesitation. It is not important That you belong to me or him But that you belong to poetry.
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Nizar Qabbani (Arabian Love Poems: Full Arabic and English Texts)
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The children in my dreams speak in Gujarati turn their trusting faces to the sun say to me care for us nurture us in my dreams I shudder and I run. I am six in a playground of white children Darkie, sing us an Indian song! Eight in a roomful of elders all mock my broken Gujarati English girl! Twelve, I tunnel into books forge an armor of English words. Eighteen, shaved head combat boots - shamed by masis in white saris neon judgments singe my western head. Mother tongue. Matrubhasha tongue of the mother I murder in myself. Through the years I watch Gujarati swell the swaggering egos of men mirror them over and over at twice their natural size. Through the years I watch Gujarati dissolve bones and teeth of women, break them on anvils of duty and service, burn them to skeletal ash. Words that don't exist in Gujarati : Self-expression. Individual. Lesbian. English rises in my throat rapier flashed at yuppie boys who claim their people โ€œcivilizedโ€ mine. Thunderbolt hurled at cab drivers yelling Dirty black bastard! Force-field against teenage hoods hissing F****ing Paki bitch! Their tongue - or mine? Have I become the enemy? Listen: my father speaks Urdu language of dancing peacocks rosewater fountains even its curses are beautiful. He speaks Hindi suave and melodic earthy Punjabi salty rich as saag paneer coastal Kiswahili laced with Arabic, he speaks Gujarati solid ancestral pride. Five languages five different worlds yet English shrinks him down before white men who think their flat cold spiky words make the only reality. Words that don't exist in English: Najjar Garba Arati. If we cannot name it does it exist? When we lose language does culture die? What happens to a tongue of milk-heavy cows, earthen pots jingling anklets, temple bells, when its children grow up in Silicon Valley to become programmers? Then there's American: Kin'uh get some service? Dontcha have ice? Not: May I have please? Ben, mane madhath karso? Tafadhali nipe rafiki Donnez-moi, s'il vous plait Puedo tenerโ€ฆ.. Hello, I said can I get some service?! Like, where's the line for Ay-mericans in this goddamn airport? Words that atomized two hundred thousand Iraqis: Didja see how we kicked some major ass in the Gulf? Lit up Bagdad like the fourth a' July! Whupped those sand-niggers into a parking lot! The children in my dreams speak in Gujarati bright as butter succulent cherries sounds I can paint on the air with my breath dance through like a Sufi mystic words I can weep and howl and devour words I can kiss and taste and dream this tongue I take back.
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Shailja Patel (Migritude)
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Loving you was the closest I came to seeing God.
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Ayushee Ghoshal
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My beloved, if one day they ask you about me, Do not hesitate and tell them with pride: 'He loves me, he loves me a lot.
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ู†ุฒุงุฑ ู‚ุจุงู†ูŠ
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Was du schaffst รผberdauert die Zeit.
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Rafik Schami (Was ich schaffe, รผberdauert die Zeit)
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And thou โ€• what needst with thy tribes' black tents Who hast the red pavilion of my heart?
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Francis Thompson (Complete Poetical Works of Francis Thompson)
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if an arab girl caves into the forest of her body is she the tree or the ax or is she the space between?
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Jess Rizkallah (the magic my body becomes: Poems)
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ุจูŠู† ุจุญุฑูŠ ูˆู…ุฑุณุงุชูƒุŒ ุงู„ู…ุงุก ูŠุบุฑู‚ ูˆุงู„ุฃุฒุฑู‚ ู„ุง ูŠู†ุฌูˆ.
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Malak El Halabi
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America's 1st Arab spring came in the guise of the Civil War...when our nation couldn't stomach the abomination of slavery anymore. One can't help keep wondering...when the next one will come.โœŒ
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Timothy Pina (Hearts for Haiti: Book of Poetry & Inspiration)
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ุชุฑุงุชูŠู„ ุนู„ู‰ ุฌุณุฏ ูุฑุงุดุฉ ุงุบุณู„ูˆู‡.. ู…ุฏู‘ุฏูˆู‡.. ุงุบู…ุถูˆู‡.. ุดูŠู‘ุนูˆู‡.. ูˆุฏู‘ุนูˆู‡.. ูˆุฏูŽุนูˆู†ูŠ. ู…ู…ุณูƒุฉ ุชู„ูƒ ุงู„ูŠุฏ ุงู„ุจุงุฑุฏุฉ.. ุฃุณุฑู‚ ู…ุง ุชุจู‚ู‘ู‰ ู…ู† ุญุฑุงุฑุฉ ู‡ุฐุง ุงู„ูƒูู‘. ุฏุนูˆู†ูŠ. ุฃุญุชุถู† ู‡ุฐุง ุงู„ุฌุณุฏ ุงู„ู‡ุงู…ุฏ.. ุฃุณุฑู‚ ู…ู† ุงู„ู…ูˆุช ุชู†ู‡ูŠุฏุฉ. ูุฑุงุดุชูŠ ุงู„ุจูŠุถุงุก ุณู‚ุทุชุŒ ุฃู…ุงู… ุนุชุจุฉ ุงู„ุฏุงุฑ ูˆุฃู†ุง.. ู…ุง ุนุงุฏ ุจูˆุณุนูŠ ุงูƒู…ุงู„ ุงู„ู‚ุตูŠุฏุฉ.. ู…ุง ุนุงุฏ ุจูˆุณุนูŠ ุงูƒู…ุงู„ ุงู„ู‚ุตูŠุฏุฉ.. ู†ูˆุงูุฐ ุงู„ุญูŠู‘ ุชุฑูƒุชู‡ุง ุฌู…ูŠุนู‡ุง ู…ุดุฑู‘ุนุฉ.. ุญุชู‘ู‰ ุจูˆู‘ุงุจุฉ ุงู„ุญุฏูŠุฏ ุชุฑูƒุชู‡ุง ู…ูุชูˆุญุฉ.. ุงุนุชู‚ุฏุช ุงู†ู‡ุง ู‚ุฏ ุชุนูˆุฏ.. ุชู„ูƒ ุงู„ูุฑุงุดุฉ ุงู„ุจูŠุถุงุก.. ูุฑุงุดุชูŠ ุงู„ูˆุญูŠุฏุฉ. ุงุนุชู‚ุฏุช ุงู†ู†ูŠ ู‚ุฏ ุงุณุชูŠู‚ุธ ู…ุฌุฏุฏุงู‹ ุนู„ู‰ ุฑูุฑูุชู‡ุง.. ูˆุงุทูุฃ ู„ู‡ุง ุงู„ุดู…ุนุฉ ูƒูŠ ู„ุง ุชุญุชุฑู‚ ููŠ ุงู„ุนุดูŠู‘ุฉ.. ูˆู„ูƒู† ูุฑุงุดุชูŠ ุงู„ุจูŠุถุงุก ุณู‚ุทุชุŒ ุงู…ุงู… ุนุชุจุฉ ุงู„ุฏุงุฑ ูˆุฃู†ุง.. ุฃุญุฑู‚ุช ูŠูˆู…ู‡ุงุŒ ุญุฏุงุฏุงู‹ ุนู„ูŠู‡ุงุŒ ูƒู„ู‘ ู‚ุตุงุฆุฏูŠ ุงู„ุฒู‡ุฑูŠุฉ.. ูƒู„ู‘ ู‚ุตุงุฆุฏูŠ ุงู„ุฒู‡ุฑูŠุฉ.
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Malak El Halabi (ุณู…ูŠุฑ)
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POEM FOR SOUKAรNAโ€ **** To tell of my new Moroccan Love, ร”, I court her everyday. But just as a pearl in the mud is a pearl, So is my Love just an Arab girlโ€ฆ in that I offer her constant, loving woos, but sheโ€™ll ask me in return that I give her flooze*. Thatโ€™s when I kiss her and shrug, and I say, โ€œSomeday.โ€ And she gives me her love free anyway. * * * ร”, my Love is a child of the souks. In Casablanca born. A gypsy thief, โ€œSoukaรฏnaโ€ named. We met in the souks of Marrakech, It was here my heart she tamed. ร”, she came at nineteen to Marrakech, In search of wild fun. And she lived in Marrakech seven years, Before my heart she won.
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Roman Payne
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ูƒุงู† ู„ุง ุจุฏูŽู‘ ู…ู† ุงู„ุณูŠุฑ ุงู„ู‰ ุงู„ู‡ุงูˆูŠุฉ... ูˆูƒุงู† ู„ุง ุจุฏูŽู‘ ุฃูŠุถุงู‹ ู…ู† ุงู„ุฑูƒุถ ุจุงุชุฌุงู‡ู‡ุง... ูููŠ ุฃุณูู„ ูƒู„ูู‘ ู‡ุงูˆูŠุฉ ุทูู„ุงู‹ ูŠุดุจู‡ูƒ ู‚ู„ูŠู„ุงู‹... ูŠุถุญูƒ ุจุฑุนูˆู†ุฉ ูˆูŠุชู…ุชู…: ุงู„ุฑุดุฏ ูุฎูŒ ุฃู‚ู†ุนูˆูƒ ุจู‡. ุงุจู‚ูŽ ูƒู…ุง ุฃู†ุชูŽ. ุงุจู‚ูŽ ูƒู…ุง ุฃู†ุชูŽ... ู…ุชู‡ูˆุฑุงู‹. ุงูŠู‘ุงูƒ ุฃู† ุชูƒุจุฑ.
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Malak El Halabi
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A. Guillaume sums up as follows: The Qurฤn is one of the worldโ€™s classics which cannot be translated without grave loss. It (The Holy Qurฤn) has a rhythm of peculiar beauty and a cadence that charms the ear. Many Christian Arabs speak of its style with warm admiration, and most Arabists acknowledge its excellence. . . . indeed it may be affirmed that within the literature of the Arabs, wide and fecund as it is both in poetry and in elevated prose, there is nothing to compare with it.376
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Laurence B. Brown (The First and Final Commandment)
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Information does not make a philosophy, information only makes a memory, what makes a philosophy is the way ideas are rotated in the head, and this matter depends on different forms of experimentation, not on settled and codified ways of thinking.
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ุงู„ุณุนูŠุฏ ุนุจุฏุงู„ุบู†ูŠ
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ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุณุฃุฐู‡ุจ ู„ู„ุชุณุจุญ ู‚ู„ูŠู„ุงู‹. ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุฃู† ู„ุง ุฃุนูˆุฏ.. ุงู„ุฃู…ูˆุงุฌ ุชุบุงุฒู„ู†ูŠ ูˆุชุฏุนูˆู†ูŠ ู„ู„ุนุดุงุก ุฏูˆู…ุงู‹. ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุฃู† ุฃูˆุงูู‚ ุนู„ู‰ ู…ู„ุงู‚ุชู‡ู†.. ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุฃู† ุฃุฐู‡ุจ.. ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุฃู† ู„ุง ุงุนูˆุฏ.. ุณุฃุฐู‡ุจ ู„ู„ุฑูƒุถ ู‚ู„ูŠู„ุงู‹ . ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุฃู† ู„ุง ุงุนูˆุฏ.. ุงู„ุบูŠูˆู… ุชู†ุฏู‡ ุงุณู…ูŠ ุจุงุณุชู…ุฑุงุฑ. ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุงู† ุฃู„ุจู‘ูŠ ู†ุฏุงุกุงุชู‡ู†.. ุงุฎุดู‰ ุงู† ุฃุฐู‡ุจ ูŠุง ุฃู…ูŠ.. ุฃุฎุดู‰ ุฃู† ู„ุง ุงุนูˆุฏ..
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Malak El Halabi (ุณู…ูŠุฑ)
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Later, when his desires had been satisfied, he slept in an odorous whorehouse, snoring lustily next to an insomniac tart, and dreamed. He could dream in seven languages: Italian, Spanic, Arabic, Persian, Russian, English and Portughese. He had picked up languages the way most sailors picked up diseases; languages were his gonorrhea, his syphilis, his scurvy, his ague,his plague. As soon as he fell asleep half the world started babbling in his brain, telling wondrous travelers' tales. In this half-discovered world every day brought news of fresh enchantments. The visionary, revelatory dream-poetry of the quotidian had not yet been crushed by blinkered, prosy fact. Himself a teller of tales, he had been driven out of his door by stories of wonder, and by one in particular, a story which could make his fortune or else cost him his life.
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Salman Rushdie (The Enchantress of Florence)
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Such was the Arab of the desert, the dweller in tents, in whom was fulfilled the prophetic destiny of his ancestor Ishmael. "He will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him." Nature had fitted him for his destiny. His form was light and meagre, but sinewy and active, and capable of sustaining great fatigue and hardship. He was temperate and even abstemious, requiring but little food, and that of the simplest kind. His mind, like his body, was light and agile. He eminently possessed the intellectual attributes of the Shemitic race, penetrating sagacity, subtle wit, a ready conception, and a brilliant imagination. His sensibilities were quick and acute, though not lasting; a proud and daring spirit was stamped on his sallow visage and flashed from his dark and kindling eye. He was easily aroused by the appeals of eloquence, and charmed by the graces of poetry. Speaking a language copious in the extreme, the words of which have been compared to gems and flowers, he was naturally an orator; but he delighted in proverbs and apothegms, rather than in sustained flights of declamation, and was prone to convey his ideas in the oriental style, by apologue and parable.
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Washington Irving
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Lost In black as solid as a mire In a land no one would die for In a time I was lost To anyone who ever loved me The world set itself on fire And the sky collapsed above me In a place no one could call home In a place I breathed and slept In a battle no one understood That continued all the same I sat defenseless and alone With the insignificance of my name In the midst of the Lordโ€™s birth On a night meant to be peaceful In a country of the Prophet Where women donโ€™t live free I spoke to God from the shaking Earth And prayed my mother would forgive me In a city without power In a desert torn by religion In a bank between two rivers We added up the decadeโ€™s cost And glorified the final hour Of a war that everyone had lost In the dust of helplessness In a concrete bunker In a fate I chose myself I waited without remorse To fight again as recompense For wasted lives and discourse -an original poem about an attack on our base in Iraq during the Arab Spring
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Dianna Skowera
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ูƒุงู† ูŠู†ุจุบูŠ ู„ูŠ ุฃู† ุฃู…ุชู†ุน. ูƒุงู† ูŠู†ุจุบูŠ ู„ูŠ ุฃู† ุฃุตู…ุช. ูƒุงู† ูŠู†ุจุบูŠ ู„ูŠ ุฃู† ู„ุง ุฃูƒุชููŠ. ุฃู† ุฃู‚ูˆู„ ู†ุนู… ุนู„ู‰ ู…ุถุถ. ุฃู† ุฃุฑุฏู‘ุฏ ุดูƒุฑุงู‹. ูˆุฃุชู…ุชู…ู‡ุง ู…ุทูˆู„ุงู‹. ุฃู† ู„ุง ุฃุญุฏู‘ู‚ ููŠ ูˆุฌู‡ูƒ ุทูˆูŠู„ุงู‹. ุฃู† ุฃุฏูŠุฑ ูˆุฌู‡ูŠ ุจุณุฑุนุฉ. ุฃู† ุฃุฑุชุดู ู‚ู‡ูˆุชูŠ ุจุจุทุฃ. ุฃู† ุฃู†ุธุฑ ุฏุงุฎู„ ุงู„ูู†ุฌุงู†. ูˆุฃู† ุฃู†ุฏู‡ "ูˆู„ูƒู†". ูƒุงู† ูŠู†ุจุบูŠ ู„ูŠ ูƒู„ ู‡ุฐุง ูƒูŠ ุฃุญุจูƒ. ูˆูƒูŠ ุฃุฐู‡ุจ ุงู„ู‰ ู„ูŠู„ูƒ ุจู‚ู„ุจู ุตุงุฎุจ ูˆุฌุณุฏู ูŠุฑู‚ุตุŒ ูƒุงู† ูŠู†ุจุบูŠ ู„ูŠ ุฃูŠุถุงู‹ ุฃู† ุฃุนูŠุฏ ุชุฑุชูŠุจ ุงู„ูˆู‚ุช ุนู„ู‰ ุทุฑูŠู‚ุชูŠ.
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Malak El Halabi
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Slavery has been outlawed in most arab countries for years now but there are villages in jordan made up entirely of descendants of runaway Saudi slaves. Abdulrahman knows he might be free, but hes still an arab. No one ever wants to be the arab - its too old and too tragic, too mysterious and too exasperating, and too lonely for anyone but an actual arab to put up with for very long. Essentially, its an image problem. Ask anyone, Persian, Turks, even Lebanese and Egyptians - none of them want to be the arab. They say things like, well, really we're indo-russian-asian european- chaldeans, so in the end the only one who gets to be the arab is the same little old bedouin with his goats and his sheep and his poetry about his goats and his sheep, because he doesnt know that he's the arab, and what he doesnt know wont hurt him.
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Diana Abu-Jaber (Crescent)
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No one can say what the inner life is, but poetry tries to, and no one can say what poetry is, but let's be bold and claim that there are two major streamings in consciousness, particularly in the ecstatic life, and in Rumi's poetry: call them fana and baqa, Arabic words that refer to the play and intersection of human with divine. Rumi's poetry occurs in that opening, a dervish doorway these energies move through in either direction. A movement out, a movement in. Fana is the streaming that moves from the human out into mystery-the annihilation, the orgasmic expansion, the dissolving swoon into the all. The gnat becomes buttermilk; a chickpea disappears into the flavor of the soup; a dead mule decays into salt flat; the infant turns to the breast. These wild and boundaryless absorptions are the images and the kind of poem Rumi is most well known for, a drunken clairvoyant tavern voice that announces, "Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.
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Coleman Barks (The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems)
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Beware of Strangers As children, they teach us To beware of strangers, To refrain from approaching them. As we grow older we learn That no one is stranger than those We thought weโ€™d known all our lives. As we grow older we learn That a stranger may carry more empathy, And may understand us more deeply. Even feelings of affection from a stranger May be more sincere. And so I ask: can humanity and the strangeness be synonymous? Could we say: I am a stranger; therefore I am? Can we truly feel alive Without strange things Strange encounters without strangers reminding us that our hearts and minds are still beating? They teach us to avoid strangers, And life teaches us that human awareness can only be borne out Of the dagger of strangenessโ€ฆ That life is tasteless When we donโ€™t mix it with strangersโ€ฆ That familiarity is opposed to life! And thus, I loudly declare: A stranger I was born. A stranger I wish to remain! And I ask that you issue my death certificate The day I become familiar. [Original poem published in Arabic on October 29 at ahewar.org]
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Louis Yako
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Are you Afraid of Sadness?" In an old interview with a famous and talented Iraqi actress, the interviewer asked her: โ€œWhy are you afraid of sadness?โ€ The actress responded: โ€œI am afraid of it because it quickly takes you to a place from which you can never return.โ€ And exactly as she was answering, an insightful viewer could notice a sadness on her face indicating that the famous and talented actress herself wasnโ€™t really present in the interview for sadness had long taken her with no returnโ€ฆ [Original poem published in Arabic on November 19, 2023 at ahewar.org]
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Louis Yako
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ุทุฑูŠู‚ ุงู„ุฌู‹ู„ุฌู‹ู„ุฉ ู„ู… ุฃูƒู† ูŠูˆู…ุงู‹ ุฑุงุนูŠุงู‹ ูŠู†ุฒู„ ู…ู† ู‡ุถุจุฉ. ุฃู†ุง ูƒุงู„ู…ุณูŠุญุŒ ู…ุดูŠุช ุทุฑูŠู‚ ุงู„ุฌู„ุฌู„ุฉ. ุฃู†ุง ูƒุงู„ู…ุณูŠุญุŒ ุฐู‡ุจุช ุงู„ู‰ ุงู„ุตุญุฑุงุก ู„ู„ุตูˆู… ุฃุฑุจุนูŠู† ูŠูˆู…ุงู‹. ูˆุฃุฑุจุนูŠู† ู„ูŠู„ุฉ. ูˆู†ุณูŠุช ู…ู† ุจุนุฏู‡ุง ูƒูŠููŠุฉ ุงู„ุฃูƒู„. ูˆู†ุณูŠุช ู…ู† ุจุนุฏู‡ุง ุชู†ุงูˆู„ ุงู„ุจู„ุญ. ุนู†ุฏู…ุง ุงู„ุชู‚ูŠุชูƒ ุชุฑุงุกู‰ ู„ูŠ ุฃู†ูƒ ุชู‚ูˆุฏ ู…ูˆุงูƒุจ ุงู„ู…ู„ุงุฆูƒุฉ. ุชุฑุงุกู‰ ู„ูŠ ุงู† ูˆุฌู‡ ุงู„ู„ู‡ ุณูŠุจุงู† ูˆุฃู† ุฑุถูˆุงู† ูŠูุชุญ ู„ูŠ ุจุงุจ ุงู„ุฌู†ุฉ. ูˆู‡ุง ุจูˆุฌู‡ ุงู„ู‚ู…ุฑ ูŠุณูˆุฏ ุฃู…ุงู…ูŠ ูˆู‡ุง ุจูŠู‡ูˆุฐุง ูŠุถุญูƒ ู„ูŠ ู…ุจุชุนุฏุงู‹. ุฃู†ุง ู…ุง ุทู„ุจุช ู…ู†ูƒ ูŠูˆู…ุงู‹ ุฃู† ุชู†ุฒู„ู†ูŠ ู…ู† ุตู„ูŠุจูŠ. ุฃู†ุง ูƒูƒู„ ู…ุณูŠุญ ุฃุนุดู‚ ูˆุฃุตูˆู† ุตู„ูŠุจูŠ. ุฃู†ุง ูƒูƒู„ ู…ุณูŠุญ ูˆุฌุนูŠ ุนู„ุฉ ูˆุฌูˆุฏูŠ. ู…ุง ุงู… ุฃุทู„ุจู‡ ูˆู„ู… ุชุจุฎู„ ุนู†ู‡ ู‡ูˆ ุบุฑุฒ ุฃุดูˆุงูƒ ูˆุฑูˆุฏูƒ ููŠ ุนู†ู‚ูŠ. ูƒูŠ ุฃุชุฐูƒุฑ ูˆุฌูˆุฏูƒ ูƒู„ู…ุง ุฑูุนุช ุจุฑุฃุณูŠ ู†ุญูˆ ุงู„ุณู…ุงุก. ูƒูŠ ุฃุณุชุดุนุฑ ุจุงู„ุดู…ุณ ุชุญุฑู‚ ุฎุฏูˆุฏูŠ ุงู…ุชุฏุงุฏ ุงู„ุดุงุทุฆ. ูƒูŠ ุงุบุฑู‚ ุจุนุฑู‚ูŠ ุงู„ู…ุงู„ุญ ูƒู„ู…ุง ู‡ุฒุฒุช ุจุฑุฃุณูŠ ู†ุญูˆ ุงู„ุฃุณูู„.
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Malak El Halabi (ุณู…ูŠุฑ)
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They say the world will end soon. They say that the nuclear weapons made, Due to fearing 'the other', Has become a curse, a plague, a scourge On those who made them Even more than those they were made to scare... And I wonder: Will the nuclear weapons be the cause of worldโ€™s end? Or will worldโ€™s end be caused by humanityโ€™s fear, complicity, and submission? And if what they say is true, Before the world ends and before I die, I wish to drink one last cup of cardamom-flavored tea Taste one last fig, peach, or apricot, Smell a quince, Dip one last piece of bread In Palestinian thyme and olive oilโ€ฆ Before the world ends, I wish to smell a few pine needles, To breathe the smell of the first rain shower After a long, hot, and dry summerโ€ฆ Before the world ends and before I die, I wish to read one more book Out of the thousands of books that I still want to readโ€ฆ Before the world ends and before I die, I ask for one more spring To smell bunches of Iraqi narcissus flowers. I want to live one more autumn, To enjoy the magical colors Of the dying leaves on the trees As they challenge death with beauty Right before falling on the grounds of indifferenceโ€ฆ But my biggest wish before I die is For my death not to be the end of the worldโ€ฆ [Original poem published in Arabic on October 13 at ahewar.org]
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Louis Yako
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I will begin by writing a sentence about cutting. I will begin by writing a sentence about silence. I will continue by writing a sentence about cutting. I will proceed to ask the question about cutting. I will proceed from this point without euphemism. The question is about the clitoris. I call my cousins in turn. I ask the question about the clitoris. I will begin by writing a sentence about the clitoris. I will begin with the assumption that we each continue to have a clitoris. False. We do not talk about this. I will begin with speculation about our mothers, that each continues to have a clitoris. False. We are never to ask. In the silence, my youngest cousin asks if our grandmothers were cut. We were meant to proceed without euphemism. The Arabic, however, does not allow it. The Arabic, cut by euphemism. We do not use the word cut. The word we use, left intact, is purified. I will ask. I will begin. I was born & allowed to mature uncut. I was born with a clitoris & remain uncut. I was born unnamed & upon arrival was given my orders. I was born & named for a woman who died. The Arabic here allows for nuance. My name, ours, is not the same as the word we use to mean cut. That word, conjugated, is the name of one of my grandmothers. I will not ask her the question. I am told she does not remember.
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Safia Elhillo (Girls That Never Die: Poems)
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Outside the study hall the next fall, the fall of our senior year, the Nabisco plant baked sweet white bread twice a week. If I sharpened a pencil at the back of the room I could smell the baking bread and the cedar shavings from the pencil.... Pretty soon all twenty of us - our class - would be leaving. A core of my classmates had been together since kindergarten. I'd been there eight years. We twenty knew by bored heart the very weave of each other's socks.... The poems I loved were in French, or translated from the Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, Sanskrit, Greek. I murmured their heartbreaking sylllables. I knew almost nothing of the diverse and energetic city I lived in. The poems whispered in my ear the password phrase, and I memorized it behind enemy lines: There is a world. There is another world. I knew already that I would go to Hollins College in Virginia; our headmistress sent all her problems there, to her alma mater. "For the English department," she told me.... But, "To smooth off her rough edges," she had told my parents. They repeated the phrase to me, vividly. I had hopes for my rough edges. I wanted to use them as a can opener, to cut myself a hole in the world's surface, and exit through it. Would I be ground, instead, to a nub? Would they send me home, an ornament to my breed, in a jewelry bag?
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Annie Dillard (An American Childhood)
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The Meaning of 'Home' As I travel from one city to another From one country to another From one sorrow to another, I encounter thousands of faces: In streets, shops, parks, and cafรฉs. They all ask me the same painful question: 'Where are you from?' As if they know, I am from a place that lost itself and lost me On a long, cold, and sad winter night. They ask me: 'What is your country known for?' I tell them: 'My country is known for exporting sad stories, refugees, and displaced people. All those who were cursed by being born in it.' Similar questions continue to be asked in cocktail parties, In hypocritical and mediocre gatherings, In conferences and boring meetings. Some pretentiously ask me: 'How do you define "home"?' I respond with Ghassan Knafaniโ€™s words ringing in my ears: 'Home is for all of this not to happen.' April 19, 2014
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Louis Yako (ุฃู†ุง ุฒู‡ุฑุฉ ุจุฑูŠุฉ [I am a Wildflower])
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Barbie" Through my many and long travels Iโ€™ve come across many who read books On planes, buses, and on trainsโ€ฆ Over the years, three titles caught my attention of books in the hands of women who either looked like or tried to look like the Barbie dollโ€ฆ I donโ€™t remember the exact titles of these books, But I remember that one of them was something along the lines of โ€œhow keep your husband or preserve your marriage.โ€ The other was something about โ€œsigns that he is cheating on you.โ€ And the third was something on how to get rid of him and move on! It was as if these titles summarized the lifecycle of every woman who lets herself to play the role of a Barbieโ€ฆ And I often wondered if reading books on โ€œHow to stop playing the Barbie roleโ€ in love and life is not just enough to solve all the problems the other three books are claiming to addressโ€ฆ [Original poem published in Arabic on May 16, 2024 at ahewar.org]
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Louis Yako
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QUEEN OF THE SAND "Oh father, behold the desert queen" and I looked and I saw an inscription but age deprived my understanding. My daughter cried out, "Oh father, King of the Desert, behold she who bears my name". Then I realise it was Zara Muhammad The Queen of the Sand. The mercy of princesses. The sons delight and the father's pride. Oh daughter of Arab, what bringeth thou thee to the Kingdom were daughters are enthroned, where women rule, and where the sons of men marvel at the beauty of the stars. The Sand Queen replied, "It the glory every daughter of the Sand has spoken of brought me this far" "What glory, oh Adored Zara?" I asked and she roared with voice of a bird rejoicing over showers of seeds and she said "You my Lord and King, for your beauty has reached the ends of the world" It was then I realise that this poem was written not only for Zara Muhammed but also for Zara Vote and Victor Vote. Greetings of great Great Zara, Queen of the Sand. Poem by Victor Vote for Zara Muhammed
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Victor Vote
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A Flock of Geese" She often wondered about the inexplicable deep sorrow that she feels every time she sees a flock of geese flying in the sky โ€ฆ Do the flying geese remind her that she has wasted her life stuck in the trivialities of daily life? Or perhaps the flying birds remind her that sheโ€™s lost her ability to fly? She thinks at times in sadness how she wasted the years of her life like a naรฏve bride dreaming about the ideal groom... A bride planning the minutest details of her wedding, not realizing, until her wings were clipped, that the wedding, the groom, and the bride are roles and illusions created by society to counter the dangers of all those who wish to fly; those who dream about creating new worlds instead of getting hanged or strangulated in a world created by on their behalf by others โ€ฆ As she hears the honking of another passing flock of geese flying over her head as did the most beautiful years of her life the birds awaken in her that uncontrollable itch to depart to refuse the illusion of settling and stability The illusion of the wedding and the groom The illusion of all the wedding invitees Who spend an entire night dancing, cheering, and celebrating the clipping of her wingsโ€ฆ [Original poem published in Arabic on December 14, 2023 at ahewar.org]
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Louis Yako
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Everything has already been caught, until my death, in an icefloe of being: my trembling when a piece of rough trade asks me to brown him (I discover that his desire is his trembling) during a Carnival night; at twilight, the view from a sand dune of Arab warriors surrendering to French generals; the back of my hand placed on a soldier's basket, but especially the sly way in which the soldier looked at it; suddenly I see the ocean between two houses in Biarritz; I am escaping from the reformatory, taking tiny steps, frightened not at the idea of being caught but of being the prey of freedom; straddling the enormous prick of a blond legionnaire, I am carried twenty yards along the ramparts; not the handsome football player, nor his foot, nor his shoe, but the ball, then ceasing to be the ball and becoming the โ€œkick-off,โ€ and I cease being that to become the idea that goes from the foot to the ball; in a cell, unknown thieves call me Jean; when at night I walk barefoot in my sandals across fields of snow at the Austrian border, I shall not flinch, but then, I say to myself, this painful moment must concur with the beauty of my life, I refuse to let this moment and all the others be waste matter; using their suffering, I project myself to the mind's heaven. Some negroes are giving me food on the Bordeaux docks; a distinguished poet raises my hands to his forehead; a German soldier is killed in the Russian snows and his brother writes to inform me; a boy from Toulouse helps me ransack the rooms of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers of my regiment in Brest: he dies in prison; I am talking of someoneโ€“and while doing so, the time to smell roses, to hear one evening in prison the gang bound for the penal colony singing, to fall in love with a white-gloved acrobatโ€“dead since the beginning of time, that is, fixed, for I refuse to live for any other end than the very one which I found to contain the first misfortune: that my life must be a legend, in other words, legible, and the reading of it must give birth to a certain new emotion which I call poetry. I am no longer anything, only a pretext.
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Jean Genet (The Thief's Journal)