قردٌ على الشباك A Monkey at the Window

قردٌ على الشباك

(1)
الولدُ الذي كان يلهو في السرير
أمه تطبخ مجروحة
يرمي بالدوائر واللغو
من النافذة الصغيرة
تبتسمُ
(يسطع العالمُ كله)
"يبرطم "– ماذا يظنُّّ؟!
 
على الشبّاك قردٌ
وراءالباب
لكنه لم يزل يهوي إلى ظلمةٍ بعيدةٍ
لايدل يصراخاً
يعلي مخالبه - الولدُ
الأخضرُ
المُستـََفَذ
 
(2)
لم تعلمه البكاءَ –بغتة – الغناءْ
خضراء – كما شاءت
تعلمه الأقاصي الشسوع
وتناديه: الرحابة
 
خلفه ثلٌّ من الوصفِ
أمامه نهرٌ وجرعةُ ليل
وقوافلَ تدعوه لينأى
 
(أين هذا الخيط
تلك النار
أين الملكات؟!)
 
(3)
راكضاً في زقاقٍ
يدلق الزيتَ
على السروال – هذا الولدْ!
 
بال على السروال
من أثر الضحك
وهو يركضُ في الأبد
 
هذا الزقاق
عصابة الجراء
تواطؤُ الغيوب!
 
(4)
البابُ مصنوعٌ– يوحي بيدٍ تعرَقُ
المفتاحُ أنتَ
صريرُ الكون– سرك
الوحيد
تسندُ عليه قفا مستقبلٍ وترآئيات
وتحملُ عنك آكولة "الأرْضَة"
في قلبك
رائحة البلل
مطارق الأعداء والأقارب
 
(طالت غيبة ُ الضوء
يدهن الأشياء بالصحو
طال حضور الطلاء)
 
تدخلُ – منْ أين شئتَ – مثقوب العناء
تصاحبك الريح – شئتَ
تداعبك الصدماتْ!
 
كان ينظم عقداً من الأصداف
يلوِّنه بخرافاته
ويصادق الضفادع الغريبة
وهي ترقبه بصمتٍ
وراءالباب / على الشّباك
(تهرع كي تعلّي
لا يُدلّي
أيَّ شيئ!)
 
(5)
بالغابة الوحيدةُ تعرفُ الأصوات
كانت تناديها عيونُ الغالين
تشدُّها أناشيدهم
بحنان أناملهم
ورهيف توحدها
تقعُدُ صامتة ً
قُربَ أيَّ شيئ
تدفئُ الشايَ
أو تصنع العصيدة
 
في الحديقة
بالبيت الغريبِ بيتها
تدعو مواعين الغسيل
الى صباح الصوت
تدلكُ كلَّ شيئٍ في مكانه
تراقبُ المذياع
يدعوها الى رملٍ بعيدٍ
صحراءَ
لكنَّ لونها يمتدُّ نهراً
كي تغني..
والوَلدْ ؟!
................. ..............
في غابةٍ خضراءَ
أو حمراءَ...
في صحراء
من كان يناديها – أبد ؟!
 

A Monkey at the Window

I
The little boy, playing in bed
while his wounded mother cooks,
is throwing little words and circles
out of the window.
 
She smiles
(the whole world lights up)
he chatters excitedly - What can he see?
 
There's a monkey at the window -
behind the door!
But he is falling
into darkness.
And though he never raises a cry
he holds up his claws - this dark
stormy
boy.
 
II
 
She never taught him how to cry only how to sing.
Happy in herself - just as she wished to be -
she taught him endless space and vastness
and she calls him: Open-hearted.
 
Behind him a mountain of metaphors
in front a river a mouthful of night
and a train of caravans calling him away.
(Where is that thread
that fire
the skill?)
 
III
Running - down an alleyway
he splashes cooking oil all over his shorts this boy!
 
He wets himself
with laughter
running through Eternity -
through this alleyway
this pack of dogs
the conspiracies of fate!
 
IV
The solid front door remembers the hand that made it -
You are the key -
and the creak of the universe — it's your sole secret
You lean your dreams and future against it.
For its sake you endure the woodworms
gnawing through your heart
the reek of damp
the hammering of enemies and relatives.
(Long is the absence of light
that paints things awake -
Long is the presence of paint!)
 
You come home exhausted — from wherever you've been
the wind at your side — just as you wished
toyed with by traumas.
 
Once he made necklaces from seashells
colouring them with his own fairytales
once he made friends with strange frogs
- and all the while she's watching him
from behind the door /from out the window
(when she runs to pick him up
he will not raise
a cry!)
 
V
In the forest the lonely one knows all the voices
beckoned by the eyes of loved ones
their songs are luring her
with their tender fingers
and her own translucent solitude.
She sits in silence
close to every thing
brewing tea
stirring the porridge.
 
In the garden
of a strange home her home
she welcomes the pots and pans
to the sounds of morning.
Scrubbing everything in its proper place
one eye on the radio
that calls her to those distant sands
the desert.
But her colour flow like a river
so she can sing….
And that boy?
………. ………….
In a green forest
or a red forest
or a desert
now who calls him to Eternity?
 

A Monkey at the Window

(1)
The little boy, who was playing in bed,
While his wounded mother cooks,
Is throwing little words and circles
Out of the small window
 
She smiles
(The whole world lights up)
He mumbles - What does he think he sees?
 
There's a monkey on the window
Behind the door
But he is still falling
Into deep darkness
He raises not a scream
He raises his claws - this dark
provoked
boy
 
(2)
She did not teach him crying - suddenly - singing.
Dark-skinned - as she wished to be
She teaches him far ends and vastness
And calls him: Tolerance
 
Behind him, a mount of metaphors
In front of him, a river and a gulp of night
And caravans calling him to travel away
(Where is the thread
That fire
Those talents?)
 
(3)
Running - through an alleyway
He splatters the oil all over his shorts, this boy!
 
He wetted his shorts
From laughter
As he runs in Eternity
This alleyway
The mob of dogs
The conspiracy of fates!
 
(4)
The door is made - hinting to a hand that sweats
You are the key
The creak of the universe - it's your only secret
On it, you rest a shoulder of a future and imaginaries
You endure on behalf of it the itching of wood worms"
In your heart
The smell of dampness
The hammers of enemies and friends
(Long is the absence of light
It paints things with awakening
Long is the presence of paint!)
 
You enter - from wherever you wish - stabbed by fatigue
The wind following you - you wanted (it).
Traumas toying with you
 
He used to make necklaces out of seashells
Colouring them with his own fairytales
And befriend stranger frogs
While she watches him
From behind the door /from the window
(She rushes to reach him
He raises
Nothing!)
 
(5)
In the forest the lonely one knows all the voices
Calling her were the eyes of loved ones
Their songs are luring her
With the tenderness of their fingers
And her own translucent loneliness
She sits silently
Next to any thing
Making tea
Or cooking the porridge
 
In the garden
Of the strange home her home
She calls the pots of washing
To the sound of morning
Scrubbing everything in their place
Eyeing the radio
Calling her to a distant sand
To a desert
But her colour seeps out as a river
So she can sing…
And the boy?
………. ………….
In a green forest
Or a red one
Or a desert
Who was calling (her) him to Eternity?
 

Original Poem by

Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi

Translated by

Hafiz Kheir with Sarah Maguire Language

Arabic

Country

Sudan