let me first apologize for a late post
technical trouble :)
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Reminder
we are meeting at coffee Bean cafe (sp??) for class
be there 10 minutes early please
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do you girls know that he was in love with Um Kalthom, the singer, and that even after he got married, he continued to deeply love her and write love-songs for herhis wife knew...and understood
read/listen (with your hearts) :) to this
ذِكرياتٌ عبرت أُفق خيالي
بارقاً يلمع في جُنْح الليالي
نَبَّهَتْ قلبيَ من غفوته
وجَلَتْ لي سِتْرَ أيامي الخوالي
كيف أنساها وقلبي
لم يَزَلْ يَسْكُنُ جَنْبي
إنها قصة حبي
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as for our new chapter
here is what the very energetic Zainab had to say about the reading
Zainab Al-Sharif said...
From what I understood, it discusses the uncertainties of life and how it is complex to interpret it, therefore the fragmentation of the poems. This can be related to T.S Eliot's The Wasteland, where the poem is filled with different speakers that are hard to identify. Arab poets of the modern period have similar characteristics. They comment about something at a distance rather than personalising their experiences. For instance, the poem "Criticiszing pain" consists of " [. . .] a totally controlled, unemotional,but still rich and humane,way. In a memory of a friend who died in south Lebanon [.]" The critic emphasized the way in which the poet addresses "the friend" rather than his friend.I would like to add another quote by the essayist, commenting about the positive aspect of fragmentation "The fragmented self is definately a freer self. It is, in a way, as if an iron encasement has been blown up and shattered, creating a feeling of panic and a certain degree of loss of direction and orientation. But in this state of dispersal and loss, the soul suddenly breathes the fresh breeze from virgin forests [.] This might be out of the subject but I couldn't help to resist the temptation of teasing those who hate psychoanalysis. You will understand what I mean by reading these few lines "[...] my first footstep to the first legs to light up my body, to make me recognize it and recognize the narcissus in me."Ok I have said enough I should give u the chance to comment on the chapter.
From what I understood, it discusses the uncertainties of life and how it is complex to interpret it, therefore the fragmentation of the poems. This can be related to T.S Eliot's The Wasteland, where the poem is filled with different speakers that are hard to identify. Arab poets of the modern period have similar characteristics. They comment about something at a distance rather than personalising their experiences. For instance, the poem "Criticiszing pain" consists of " [. . .] a totally controlled, unemotional,but still rich and humane,way. In a memory of a friend who died in south Lebanon [.]" The critic emphasized the way in which the poet addresses "the friend" rather than his friend.I would like to add another quote by the essayist, commenting about the positive aspect of fragmentation "The fragmented self is definately a freer self. It is, in a way, as if an iron encasement has been blown up and shattered, creating a feeling of panic and a certain degree of loss of direction and orientation. But in this state of dispersal and loss, the soul suddenly breathes the fresh breeze from virgin forests [.] This might be out of the subject but I couldn't help to resist the temptation of teasing those who hate psychoanalysis. You will understand what I mean by reading these few lines "[...] my first footstep to the first legs to light up my body, to make me recognize it and recognize the narcissus in me."Ok I have said enough I should give u the chance to comment on the chapter.
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take her lead and comment away
47 comments:
I feel like Zainab's point regarding the fragmentation and usage of several voices in poetry, is highly related to T.S Eliot's poetry, and particularly his poem "The Wasteland".
The fragmentation in any poem may, whether intentionally or unintentionally, reflect upon the author himself and his sense of disorientation.
The article uses Adunis to reveal the not just inner dismantled spirit within him (related to the modern world and its development) but an inner mental struggle, resulting in a poem with a "language of paradox, conflict, opposition and negation". This repetitive mood of negativity and pessimism is commonly felt as it roams through the Western (English, American writers) and the Eastern (Arabic writers) as modern theme. We can see this in Adunis' poem (page 105), he states:
"marvel at paradoxes which are alone logical,/ at contradictory things outside of which we can see no unity..."
The thought of Arabic poetry transforming from the traditional, and romantic notion I had of it; to the new form of fragmented poetry which in most cases left ( to the reader) incomplete was shocking! It was "Shocking" not in the sense that Arabic poetry should remain traditional, but in the sense that such poetry exists.
It is obvious that one of the causes that introduced this form of writing poetry is the constant outbursts of war, and uneasiness that was taking its toll in the Middle East. It became difficult for people to interpret their own lives, and so fragmented poetry helped readers see what they wanted to see between the lines; rather than having a constant thought flowing perfectly throughtout the poem.
Zainab has mentioned earlier how this chapter is related to T.S. Eliot's Wasteland, it can be clearly seen on page 109 in a poem called We are as we are. ( or at least that’s what I think :P )
I felt this chapter was diffrent than the other chapters that we took. It was more of a grammatical kind of thing, and had a few exapmles about fragmentaion of the subject and of the sentence in arabic poetry and it also refered to Adunis a couple of times, in addition to that it had examples of "The Wasteland" by T.S Eliot. I didnt really understood the whole concept of the I/Other relationship and whats that got to do with fragmentaion. But hopefully when discussing it in classs it would be more clear and I would understand it better. :P
I think Yamama that the I/Other relationship is related to the process of fragmentation. The idea that our feelings and ideas are not coherent, it is filled with uncertaintees especially in the modern world. I think that is why we have some poets disincline from taking the role of speaking. Suggesting that we should find the meaning of these catastrophes by ourselves. It is rather like analysing the world without any feelings in order to make a better judgement. That is what I think but I might be wrong in saying this.
I’d like to comment on the poem on page 103. The very striking thing about it is the beautiful imagery that, (perhaps) unintentionally, paints a picture in a reader’s mind (or at least my mind:-P). This is a trait I’ve noticed in Arabic poetry; whether it is translated in English, or written in the native Arabic, the strong imagery penetrates. This particular poem of Adunis’s is very rich in that aspect. I can see very clearly the changes of day, of the seasons and, indeed, of time itself the way I think he wants us to see it. It is without a doubt very beautiful. Also, I feel that the following quote on page 105 is a good explanation of how the poet managed to reach this effect (paradox): “Everything acquires value and the power of being from embodying in its very essence its very opposite. From being both itself and its opposite, it derives its reality; and from yearning for its opposite it derives its power of movement.”
Zainab S, the whole time i was reading the article i just kept thinking "psychoanalysis, psychpanalysis, psychoanalysis.." :P
At the beginning of his paper, Abu-Deeb mentioned that Arabic poetry would fall under one of two categories, "a contemplative, abstract, metaphysical line," or "a worldly, down-to-earth line, pre-occupied with daily life, personal experience, the world of things, and the intimate presence of the poet as an individual in the world." Enter Fragmentation.
I found that the poetry's fragmented nature, resembled that of free-association .. let's face it, our minds are no where neaaaar coherent .. and the poets here seem to write the first thing that comes to mind.. that's why we find a lot of oppositions in a single poem, look at Hajjar's poem in page 119 as an example.. However, it's fragmented nature falls into a single subject .. it has coherence, there are other poems who seem to blend in political issues, along with friendship and self-identity ..
Moving on, This fragmentation seems to be the result of the authors' "yearning for unity with the Other, this being nature, man, society, the world at large.." But modernization is a barrier between the two. Modernization literally drives one crazy :P
However, this does not necessarily make Fragmentation a "bad" thing, i like Abu-Deeb's new forest metaphor where it's trees and bushes are of great variety. In the end, some will grow, while others may die. Therefore, our split personality makes life more interesting aaaand confusing.. But isn't "unity" a tad monotonous nowadays?
Hello everyone!
Initially i noticed as i read this chapter that the fragmented and modernist movement is quite late to the movement in the west, as we began in 1970's where as this movement began in the west early 20th Century. its not necessarily the lagging but also that we do have affinities and shared experiences with the west, so we are not always about differences.
Another point to notice would be the developments and deconstruction that happened in Arabic poetry and literature. this fragmentation has caused a complete deconstruction in Arabic poetry, which began since the time of the elegy. according to the last chapter the elegy was deconstructed and completely changed.
Kamal abu deeb does present a clear account of the deconstruction in arabic literature:
1. seperating the self from the other
2. the deconstruction of " utopia" as people will look back at their heritage as alienated and disappointing.
3. the language of paradox, and the development to a "cerebral twist of phrase"
4. the deconstruction of internal coherence,
5.the self is then fragmented into many selves and each of them are wholly independent in themselves.
6. the fragmentation of the language itself; by challenging syntax ans semantics.
7. abandoning the sentimentality and feelings, which in my opinion deconstructs the stereotype placed on arabs on being emotional.
The most thing i liked in this chapter so far is the beauty of paradox; things like sun and moon, morning and night, man and woman, all when put together in some context like poetry acquires beauty from the value and power of having two opposite meanings confronting each other which derives the reality or truth of this meaning or concept. Such laguage is used beautifully by modern Arabic poets like Adunis:
" Daylight closes the fence of its garden
washes its feet and wears its robe
in order to receive its friend, the night"
Lol Nour, I agree it does drive one crazy, if u think about it :P
I agree with Nour in the sense that "our minds are no where neaaaar coherent" ;) and even though modern poems, whether Arabic or English, seemed disorganized to the elite pre-modernists (or even to the contemporary-nowadays readers); these poems however, are actually closer to the natural state of mind than well-organized ones.
Our minds move in a stream of conscious flow, our senses trigger emotions which trigger memories, ideas, thoughts etc i.e.: remember the power of smell?
I suppose more and more poets are using this way of writing to come down to earth, and come closer to their readers.
This poem is not in the article, but it might interest you guys, it reflects the disorientation and confusion caused by war:
What more does war need?
A road, someone living, someone dead,
a river of sacred mud,
and the devouring heat of June.
A clock, a wall, an old saber,
a head forgotten at the top of the stairway,
a Bedouin white against the background of sand,
and the double noise of fear.
Nadia Tueni
"Tueni's desert image of the Bedouin 'white against the background of sand' comes at the end of a list of other fragmented images, the result of the fragmentation brought by war. The road she mentions, like Jabra's 'ceaseless wandering', does not promise to lead anywhere."
http://ag.arizona.edu/OALS/ALN/aln50/hayward.htm <--- source of poem
http://www.jehat.com/Jehaat/en/Poets/Nadia-Tueni.htm <--- short bio and peoms of Tueni
yes, i agree with you batool about the paradox and play with opposites.
This is a reference to the theory of "othering", as one thing must be defined once defining its other, and can be done so with people as well.
i think the use of what Abu Deeb calls "the cerebral twist of phrase" reminds me of Donne's "conceits".it may not b exactly the same but it uses a part of the concept.
Also this fragmented style is creating an "objective correlative", presenting the internal fragmentation of the poet her/himself through the fragmentation of the poem.
i wanted to ask you al once more, regarding the student who wants to attend our classes because he is preparing for his master and needs to recap on some of the work that we are doing. please let me know if its okay with you..
thanks.
Nour, I completely agree with you about this chapter being loaded with psychoanalysis. The split that the writer repeatedly mentions can be seen as a result of our rapidly changing world. Modernity was all about breaking free from tradition, whether it is in the form of character, literature, or lifestyle. This process, along with the wars the Orient has seen, drove people to be caught between two worlds; the past and the modern. Most psychoanalysts such as Freud, Kristeva, and La Kan have argued that we are all partially schizophrenics and that it is almost impossible to have only one supreme/true identity; our ‘real’ identities only appear when we are either dead or as children.
Prominent Arabic poets such as Adunis prove the psychoanalysts theories correct when they assert that fragmentation is a part of human experience and identity. As some of you had already mentioned, we do not think with one perspective, the “I” is multiple. This explains the writer’s paradoxical distinction and blur of the I/Other relationship. Whilst the Other represents society, the I represents the individual. However, since society shapes the individual then, the Other is clearly the stronger power. Thus, we can see how many poets such Mahumd Darwish wrote of the schizoid split such a relationship created on people. In fact his poem on pages 108, and 109 illustrates his frustration with accepting himself as child of the “generation of massacre” which again aids in the formation of the ‘split’. One by one, poets began to see and feel the emotionally destructive effects of war on their nations.. so could we not say that parody and fragmentation were a result of a confused and effervescently changing world?
Wow guys you’ve really covered the chapter...im limited on what to say!
Well I have to agree and stress on Danas point about how surprised I was to find out that Arabic poetry actually went through a fragmentation stage. It did occur years after the West, but all the same, it was still shocking.
I do feel, however, quite ignorant as it should have crossed my mind due to the political conflict in the Middle East, making it the right candidate (if I may say) to produce fragmented poetry as the West did after the shock of the 1st World War.
I liked how the narrator states that it seemed that Arabic poetry would stay the way it was, and that Adunis was such a strong poetic figure that change seemed inevitable, though a shift and change in poetry did actually occur even though according to Abu-Deeb ‘‘Adunis holds language in his fingers’’ (103) and after shaping poetry with ‘‘thirty-five years of creative activity’ (102)
احب احمد رامي انا
ما أعظم هذه الزوجة ، تحب زوجها على الرغم من انه يحب امرأة أخرى :)
ماكو مثلها ؟؟
:)
مواضيع رائعه
Beatiful poem Maryam thank you :)
Sorry,as i mentioned before I am a terrible typer :P.. i meant 'beautiful'.
Reading the chapter was like everyone said, very interesting. The fragmentation of the soul of the poet is more of a positive thing than a negative. Abu-Deeb seemed to be unsure at first whether this "agony" that the poets went through is tragic or it is a "growth" of poetry in the arab world. For me, I think it is both sad and at the same time aided in the nourishment of arab poetry.
To refer to Darwish's lines:" I wake up and ask in the clothes of my corpse about me...my soul has gotten broken..and the invaders may hand me to the poem." These lines are so fragmented, depicting the torn-apart multiple nature of the self.. it shows a very emotional conflict within the poet.
On the other hand, on pg 118 "The hands" from Baydun is very different in its detachment and concrete feeling. it's interesting to note the change in the style and tone of the poet.
And Mushira, i personally dont mind :)
Your welcome Yasmine, I found the poem striking :) and, personally, I don't mind the typos or spelling mistakes, darn these keyboards!
(LOOL blame it on keyboard, that's what I do!)
:p
hiya =)
just wondering about 'existentialism' ...it's considered extremely blasphemous in the Arab world...however wasn’t this one of the reasons why Arabic poetry shifted into a fragmentation stage? (Something tells me that this was mentioned in class)..i was just wondering how these poets got their poetry published, for those with a background knowledge of arabic poetry,,,are there any poems that ask such existentialist questions? and is the nature of the poem fragmented?
thanx in advance ;)
U moved ur classes to the "World of Blog" ?!
:)
Rami's wife knew.. and understood in a way I would never be able to:)
Someone answer Tasneem's question on existentialism. I'm curious.
Sorry Tasneem but I do not have a background knowledge. I am guessing that on the surface they do not seem to be questioning the existence of god but if u read deeply in their poem you will begin to notice such uncertainty. May be that is why we have fragmentation to allude the readers towards that direction.
Well..I've always wondered about fragmentation in poetry, although i never knew that Arabic poetry uses such a style; I've never encountered fragmentation in Arabic poetry before i take this class and i haven't been aqcuainted with Arabic poetry since my graduation from high school, so i've always recalled the poetic style that can be found in the poems of "Al-Mutanabi" or "Abu Mathi" whenever i think about Arabic poetry; where there is rhyme, full sentences, full ideas,well-formed or well-desighned verses and stanzas, and an outburst of emotions. I only related fragmentation with western poetry, and although i never understood this style or even liked it because it lost the sense of logic(and I really can't deal with nonesense since i have this kind of OCD where i really need logic in everything i do in life, even while i'm buying socks =S) However, the idea, meaning, and sense behind fragmentation, especially in Arabic poetry as a reflection of Arabic history, are becoming more evident throughout this chapter. Wars have destructed the feeling of oneness of Arabs as collectives and individuals, so it became no more an outside war as much as an inside one where faith, peace, and harmony were lost within the shattered and uncertain self. Therefore, this shattered and weak self is incapable of resolving conflicts or reestablishing coherence or oneness.consequently, it can only produces fragmented statements, so fragmentation can be seen on two levels: the level of poetic text, and the level of linguistic structure. Ironically, the fragmented self is a freer self as many of you mentioned, it speaks with a more realistic voice and expresses it's thoughts and itself more freely.The eye has also been taken over by it to observe life and dare to discover the mystery of the world around it.
That’s a very interesting question, Tasneem. I asked my mother (who is an Arabic teacher:-P), and although she told me that she doesn’t really know, she did mention a line from a poem by Ilya Abu Mathi which I think sounds very existentialist:
جئت لا أعلم من أين و لكني أتيت
و لقد أبصرت قدامي طريقا فمشيت
So I guess this kind of poetry does get published, though I don’t think the public appreciates it. Or at least, the don't appreciate the ideas expressed in the poetry.
This is the whole poem, if anyone is interested:
جئت لا أعلم من أين؟ ولكني أتيت
ولقد أبصرت أمامي طريقا فمشيت
وسأبقى سائرا ان شئت هذا أو أبيت
كيف جئت؟ كيف أبصرت طريقي؟
لست أدري
و طريقي ما طريقي ؟ أطويل أم قصير؟
هل أنا أصعد أم أهبط فيه و أغور؟
أأنا السائر في الدرب أم الدرب يسير
أم كلانا واقف و الدهر يجري؟
لست أدري
أجديد أم قديم أنا في هذا الوجود؟
هل أنا حر طليق؟ أم أسير في قيود؟
هل أنا قائد نفسي؟ في حياتي أم مقود؟
أتمنى أنني أدري ولكن
لست أدري
ليت شعري و أنا في عالم الغيب الأمين
أتراني كنت أدري انني فيه دفين
وبأني سوف أبدو و بأني سأكون
أم تراني كنت لا أدرك شيّئا؟
لست أدري
أتراني قبلما أصبحت إنسانا سويا
كنت محواً أو محالاً أم تراني كنت شيّا
ألهذا اللغز حلٌ؟ أم سيبقى أبديّا
ليت أدري .. و لماذا لست أدري؟
لست أدري
I'm sorry, I tried to make the poem look organised but I guess I didn't succeed:-S Can we align text ro the right in a post?
Zainab N,
That's one of my all-time favorite arabic poems. I remember coming across a reply to this poem. I can't remember who wrote it, but it starts with:
En Kunt La Tadri, Fa Ana Adri.
Or something like that;p
I'll try and get a complete version:)
zainab n
beautiful poem
Abdul Wahab, the singer, sang that poem...beautifully..
Dilli
yes, we're trying new things..
Every one
excellent comments
I'd like to comment on the Darwish poem we discussed in class (pg 108, it's def. my favourite poem out of the lot because of it's collective/individual self effect ..
Along with the poem Maryam just posted, it emphasizes the impact of war .. As a society, you end up being the "spoils of war" and as a single whole your "soul has gotten broken," .. i can only imagine the atmosphere.. very destructive..
The line "martyrs murdered martyrs" sort of tells us that it's a lost cause.. Martyrs die for their country/religion, they sacrifice themselves, they dont murder other martyrs..
Thanks, Doctor Ebtehal:-D
Amethyst, I'll be looking out for that poem;-)
Zainab, I found two of the replies written to El6alasem:D
Okay, ummm.. They are really long. I'm sorry your fingers are going to get tired from scrolling down.
I'll post one and then the other.
Enjoy:)
البلاسم في الرد على الطلاسم
إنه الإيمان بلسم
............ بلسم ..........
أيها التائه في الدرب
لماذا جاء؟
من أين أتى؟
وإلى أين سيمضي ؟
تائهٌٌ في ظلمة النفس
يرى البرهان طلسم
ثم يمضي ...ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
يسأل السُحْب وموج البحر
والشطآن والأشجار
والدر وديراً يقتل القلب
ونسَّاكاً توارى عقلها في عالم اليأس
وورداً حوله النور الذي يحي
ويرضى بالدياجي
ثم يمضي ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
أتراني؟ ليت شعري ؟
أأنا؟ قد سألتُ؟ أنت يا
أيها الــ
طلسماً من بعد طلسم
ألهذا اللغز حلٌ
ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
أي وربي
إن للغز لحـــلا
وبراهينا وآيات
جليات وبلسم
وشفاءً لفؤادٍ ملؤه الشك
شقيــــــــاً
ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
أطْلِق العقل من الوهم
وفكر بهدوءٍ
وبإمعانً تأمل
في بناء الكون
في الآفاق
في الأنفس
في الدهر
تجد للغز حلاً
وشفاءً لفؤاد
ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
اقرأ الكون تجد فيه الجوابا
هل ترى فيه فطوراً واضطرابا
أو ترى جزءاً معابا
أم تراه في بناء متقنٍ
ونظام محكمٍ
وجمالٍ
وجواباً لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
هذه الأرض التي نحن عليها
من ملايين السنيين
من دحاها
من طحاها
شقها
أخرج ماها
أنبت الزرع
وبالأوتاد أرساها وبالخير حباها
إن للغز لحلا
وبراهينا وبلسم
وشفاءً لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
إنها تجري وراء الشمس
والشمس تدور
في الطريق اللبني
والطريق اللبني
خلف درب آخر يجري
وذاك الدرب يجري
فلماذا الأرض لا تلقي بنا
إن للغز لحلا
وبراهينا وبلسم
وشفاءً لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
قيل أن الكون سوته الطبيعة
ما الطبيعة؟
قيل هذا الكون
يا للسخف !!
هل يخلق نفسه؟
ثم هل كان؟ وإن كان
فمن أوجد كونه؟
إن للغز لحلا
وبراهينا وبلسم
وشفاءً لفؤاد ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
قيل صدفة
إنها أكذب كذبة
أيُ حمقٍ وافتراءٍ
أنني أعلم أن الصدفة الحمقاء لا تخلق إبداعا
ولا تتقن حكمة
إن للغز لحلا
وبراهيناً وبلسم
وشفاء لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
إن ما في الكون من صنع عليم
وحكيم وخبير
وسميع وبصير
وقديرٍ ومهيمن
ذاك برهان من الكون
وبلسم
وشفاءُُ لفؤاد ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
كيف جئنا؟ ولماذا ؟
وإلى أين سنمضي؟
هل يجيب العقل
أم أن مدار العقل محدود
وتحتاج لعلم من عليم
علمه في الكون مطلق
قال ربي :
لم نكن شيئا فسوانا
وللحق هدانا
وإليه سوف نمضي
إن في هذا شفاءً لفؤاد ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
أنزل القرآن بالحق شفاءً
لصدور المؤمنين
قال فيه:
ربَنا (( إياك نعبد))
كل ما في الكون للرحمان يسجد
سبح الحوت وموج البحر والدر ّ جميعا
ربنا(( إياك نعبد))
إن في هذا شفاءً لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
في سكون الليل أسبغت وضوئي
وإلى الكعبة يممت اتجاهي
ولرب الكون وجهت فؤادي
ثم كبرت وصليت وعفرت جبيني
وبسطت يدي أناجيه
وأسبلت دموعي
ربنا (( إياك نعبد))
إنه الإيمان بلسم
وشفاءُ لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
أي إخلاص وحبٍ
يملؤ القلب لكل المسلمين
قد تآلفنا بحبٍ
وسمت أرواحنا
في رحاب المسجدِ
في خشوع وخضوع
حالنا
(( وجهت وجهي))
لإله واحد
إن في هذا شفاءً لفؤاد ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
ليس فينا راهب في الدير
يغتال الحياة
يهجر الناس
لتبقى في ضياع وشتات
إنه في ديننا
أطغى الطغاة
ديننا يأبى العقول الآسنات
دينا لا يفصل الدين عن الدنيا
ولا يترك شيئا
من تفاصيل الحياة
إن في هذا شفاءً لفؤادٍ ليس يدري
............ بلسم ..........
إنه الإسلام نور العقل
برهان اليقين
دين عدلٍ وشمول
فإذا ماشئت اسلم
إنه الإسلام بلسم
وجواب صادق لفؤاد ليس يدري
اليمني ذرى المجد
جئتُ دنياي وأدري، عن يقين كيف جئتُ
جئت دنياي لأمرٍ من هُدى الآيِ جلوتُ
ولقد أبصرتُ قُدّامي دليلا فاهتديتُ
ليت شعري كيف ضلّ القومُ عنه!
ليت شعري!
ليس سراً ذا خفاءٍ أمرُ ذيّاك الوجودْ
كل ما في الكون إبداعٌ إلى الله يقودْ
كائنات البر والبحر على الخلق شهود
ليت شعري كيف ضلّ القوم رشدا!
ليت شعري!
قال ربي: كُن فكنتُ ثمّ صِرتُ اليوم حيا
وقواي مُشرعاتٍ كيف شئتُ في يديّا
دُمتُ حرا في اختياري إن عصياً أو رضياً
عن جلِيِّ الأمر ضلوا! كيف ضلوا!
ليت شعري!
قد سألت البحر يوما: أأُجيب الناس عنكا؟
فأجاب البحر هيّا قد سئمتُ القول إفكا
أنت مثلي، خلقُ ربي ويفيض الصدق منكا
ليت شعري كم نسوه وهو حق
ليت شعري
أيها البحر كفانا قولهم زورا عليكا
هاهو الشاطيء يدري أنه جاثٍ عليكا
هاهي الأنهارُ أجرتها يد الله إليكا
أحسب الأمواج قالت حين ثارت
ليت شعري!
"كم فتاةٍ مثل ليلى وفتى كابن الملوّح"
أنصتا للموج فجراً عندما صلّى وسبّح
زغرد الإيمان في قلبيهما حبّا وأفصح
إن للموج دُعاءً، أو تدري
ليت شعري!
إن في صدري يا بحرُ لأنواراً عجابا
أشرق الإيمان منها وأنا كنتُ الرِّحابا
ولِذا أزدادُ حُبّا كلمّا ازددتُ اقترابا
ليت شعري! هل أرى الأقوام مثلي!
ليت شعري!
قد براك الله مِثلي فيك أصداف ورملُ
وبراني الله من ماءٍ وطينٍ، ذاك أصلُ
ثم كُرِّمتُ بعقل وبنفخِ الروح أعلو
من حباه الله عقلا كيف ينسى؟
ليت شعري!
الدكتور ربيع سعيد عبدالحليم
It's funny how conflicts and oppositions govern much of the arab world. Not only do we find conflicts with the outside world, we manage to find conflict within ourselves. Its also intresting to see that the mood of conflict actually infected art, poetry to be exact. I felt that Darwish's poem on pages 108 and 109 are a mirror to whatever conflict we find within ourselves. Darwish shows how conflict has taken a toll on him as a person, and as a poet. He feels that his soul is tiering from all of the conflict that is surrounding him
I found it extremely sad, espacially when he says:
"A knight stabs his brother in the chest in the name of the homeland and prays for forgiveness"
It seems like he not only feels shattered, but also betrayed by his peers, the people who should be there to assist him.
The poem ends with a haunting image of his dead corpse being thrown around, for the sake of having someone or something to attack. Sad to say, it is a true image of how politics works these days
I forgot to mention an important point i was thinking about. Since the article mentions paradox, something somewhat paradoxical has taken place in poetry. Conflict and breakdown of politics and societies in the Arab world carried a negative vibe within the region. However, "paradoxically" or should I say ironically, the opposition and conflict within poetry has helped poets express much of their feelings about life, love, and politics. It created an easier breeding ground to speak their minds, because they didn't have the constraint of working within a certain frame, or blueprint for poetry writing
Same here Nour, I like the poem. It is filled with emotions and a feeling of betrayal.
Thanx for trying guys :)
It's alright, i guess as Zainab S says, its not brought to the surface, in other words its not direct questioning its more of that conflict within ones self that causes the poet to ask such questions.
Zainab i think I actually understood that line of the poem you kindly posted,,,he's wondering where he came from right? He’s posing the question that he doesn’t really know anymore ..yep yep sounds existentialist to me though understandable in the context of the poem, as we've discussed on this blog that’s how these poets were feeling…completely lost and alienated.
really wish i could understand those Arabic poems that some of you are posting...people tell me all the time that no translation can ever extract the full meaning and capture the beauty of the Arabic language :(
Really great comments though, i understood this chapter much more after reading them :D
I am sorry for posting late I just saw the deadline, I had some difficulties with the internet for a few days. I hope my post gets accepted, as I mentioned before to be honest this wasnt one of the best chapters that we took. It remined me of linguistics which I am not that keen on. But on the other hand there were a couple of points which I found interesting of how using the paradox in arabic poetry. In addition to how fragmentation is found in some of the poems that were in the chapter. I look forward to study the next chapter sounds interesting. :)
Hello ladies :D
I thought about opening a debate that we touched on lightly in the previous class.
Which poetry appeals to you more. And why?
Modern poetry which carries the content and form of this chapter (portrayal of the fragmented, alienated self?
OR
Classical poetry (Elizabethean, Romantic, Victorian) which revolves around beautiful diction, and coherent structure?
Also, if you see one as being more authentic and artistic then let's hear your thoughts..
Personally, I believe in the power of both since with technological progression and advancement in general, minds must too advance. Thus, there was a lot of pressure on assimilating all the life-altering ideologies on cultures which played a hige role in the production of modern literature today.
Yet again, we cannot deny the beauty and exquisiteness of classical poetry.
so let the debate begin! :D
Wow, so many comments and so many questions..And in reply to the different types of poetry, and what is more appealing..I think I prefer this fragmented poetry as arabic poetry, not western. The whole alienated self idea is really so interesting and different, and it just bothers you so much that this has happened to the arab self. there is no more romanticism, it is all about the inner conflicts and struggles, the turn from the self against the self, if that makes sense. There is a clash between the multiple parts of the self. Half the time I dont know what the poets are talking about, unlike all the other traditional poets. MAybe thats why I prefer this poetry to the traditional poetry, because it keeps provoking you and confusing you. You know there's meaning, deep meaning, but what is the poet really talking about? Like in that poem "Squatting".. it just bothers you so much that you don't know what the importance of squatting is..and if we translate it in arabic, what is its significance? What term would it translate into? Back to the point, this fragmented poetry, for me , is much more appealing. but that doesnt disregard the more traditonal poetry :)
Thanks so much, Amethyst, that was brilliant!:-D I love the replies! Obviously people were very angry with Ilya Abu Mathi about the poem he wrote! And by the way, I was enjoying the poems too much to worry about any aching fingers;-) Thanks again:-)
Zainab
Indeed, many were angry. The unacceptance of Ilya's views sometimes blinds people from enojying his magestic words. It's a shame because he writes beautiful, emotinally-charged poetry that many of us can relate to.
I'm glad you enjoyed:)
hello everyone :) wow excellent comments! i know i'm a bit late; its been a while since i added a comment:(
Finally fragmented work! to be honest i find that most fragmented works make more sense than the works which are considered traditional, and in "order". To be frank who are we kidding, obviously our lives are not in "oreder" and aren't perfect, to pretend so is only to confuse people and if not ourselves as well. I'm actually glad arab poets were introducing the form of fragmentation into their poetry.
i have to say i enjoyed the poem "The hands" which ithink is by Abbas Baydun.
only three lines long, but still leaves the reader with a strong impression. i was only wondering when this poem was written...cause it is very imagist, and i was wondering about the imagist movement in the west and in the east and how must have taken place in different times.
Hello:-)
I'm not sure if anyone is going to check this post again, but I'll say this anyway:-P I read a quote by the French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin which was eerily similar to Ilya Abu Mathi's poem "el 6elassim". This is it:
"Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?"
I think Gauguin probably said this quote before Abu Mathi wrote his poem (since Gauguin died in 1903 and Abu Mathi started writing poetry after he moved to Alexandria in 1900), but it's just a guess:-P
Zainab,
I feel like every literary work is linked to other works. Quotes are literature to me:)
Btw, I'm writing a research for my Arabic class in which I analyze "El6allasem" and the replies:)
Not just literature, but art in general (and even science - this debate came up in my theory class, it's definitely interesting). Don't you find that after you delve deep into the valuable realm of literature you appreciate things even more?:-P Literature is really all about the world around us. And that's how I reply to shallow people who ask me why on Earth I chose this field: it teaches me about life.
Best of luck with your research paper:-) Maybe you'll let me read it:-P
Zainab, I agree with every word. I don't feel the need to explain my choice to major in literature. I know that people look down on it compared to medicine or engineering. I say, literature is in everything, and everything is in literature. So, when asked, I just smile:)
I will let you read the paper. Let's pray I can finish it next week;p
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