O remorseful stone by Saleh Labrini, Morocco
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O remorseful stone, speak
No rain will come
And the sky takes its last breath
And sink into the nebula
So be the support
Break the wall of silence
Shake off the sunset madness
And be freed from your isolation
And go as you wish
A fire consuming firewood of the family
A light that listens to confused homes
Talk
Destruction twists the neck of time
The dead fly
They land on balconies, defeated by waiting
And no one is coming
Emptiness after emptiness
Nothingness falsifies its existence
No trees singing in sight
No desert satisfies the heart of sand
Only martyrs arranging tables for the choir of eternity.
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O remorseful stone
The silence of the range in its isolation
Winds blow away rubble dust
A flower that confuses the comfort of the sand
And an anthem that brings the river back to its beginning
There is nothing wrong with the evening
I am the glimmer emerging from the dust of time
I seed paths with the available lightning bolts
And thunder
And my plains raise neighing springs
And listen to a land where the day comes filled with the alertness of Pebbles
To the bewilderment of the breaths going to the paths of isolation
To wait for doors that are raided by the despair of emptiness
And rust creeps on the walls of the tribe
From here passed soldiers bereaved of their Dreams
Dragging their bleeding
Slaughtered to the Wailing Wall
Spreading myths
And dancing on an illusion
That would lead them to the grooves
Of the abyss
On the tracks of disappointment
They destroy the land
And drown in the mire of the wind
All the storms sing at the corner of the coming
Laden with the fruits of the winds
And a day filled with joy
And a night that sheds the last of its darkness
And dissolves in the olive glow
And sleeps on the wing of victory
From the trenches of pride, rose flowers and winds
Palm trees and the thorn of dawn spread fire, light and light
In the steppes, erupt ambushes of wolves and blood worshipers
And run in humble land…
Saleh Labrini
Saleh Labrini(1970) is a Moroccan poet and critic, born in the village of Abzou. He has published five collections of poetry. In addition, he began publishing in Arab newspapers and magazines in the 1990s.
Translated by Dr.Salwa Gouda
Dr Salwa Gouda is an accomplished Egyptian literary translator, critic, and academic affiliated with the English Language and Literature Department at Ain Shams University. Holding a PhD in English literature and criticism, Dr. Gouda pursued her education at both Ain Shams University and California State University, San Bernardino. She has authored several academic works, including Lectures in English Poetry and Introduction to Modern Literary Criticism, among others. Dr. Gouda also played a significant role in translating The Arab Encyclopedia for Pioneers, a comprehensive project featuring poets, philosophers, historians, and literary figures, conducted under the auspices of UNESCO. Recently, her poetry translations have been featured in a poetry anthology published by Alien Buddha Press in Arizona, USA. Her work has also appeared in numerous international literary magazines, further solidifying her contributions to the field of literary translation and criticism.
Dr Salwa Gouda is an accomplished Egyptian literary translator, critic, and academic affiliated with the English Language and Literature Department at Ain Shams University. Holding a PhD in English literature and criticism, Dr. Gouda pursued her education at both Ain Shams University and California State University, San Bernardino. She has authored several academic works, including Lectures in English Poetry and Introduction to Modern Literary Criticism, among others. Dr. Gouda also played a significant role in translating The Arab Encyclopedia for Pioneers, a comprehensive project featuring poets, philosophers, historians, and literary figures, conducted under the auspices of UNESCO. Recently, her poetry translations have been featured in a poetry anthology published by Alien Buddha Press in Arizona, USA. Her work has also appeared in numerous international literary magazines, further solidifying her contributions to the field of literary translation and criticism.
