لا شَيْءْ Nothing

 لا شَيْءْ

 
قبل أَنْ تَشْرَعَ في القِرَاءَةِ
ضَعْ القَلَمْ
وَاْنْظُرْ إِلى الحِبْرِ السَائِلِ
كَمْ يَفْهَمُ في النَزْفِ.
 
 تَفَقَّهْ
 
في مِسَاحَةِ الأُفُقِ
وضِيقِ البَصَرِ، إِتِّسَاعِ البَصِيرَةِ
وَخُذْلانِ الأَصَابِعْ
 
ولا تَلُمْنِي/ لا تَلُمْ أَحَدَاً
إِنْ مِتُّ قبل أَنْ تَقْرَأَ لا شَيْءَ
قبل أَنْ نَفْهَمَ في النَزْفِ!
 
 
 

Nothing

Before you start reading,
put down your pen:
consider the ink,
how it comprehends bleeding
 
Learn
from the distant horizon
and from narrowing eyes
the expansiveness of vision
and the treachery of hands
 
Do not blame me - do not blame anyone -
if you die before you read on
before blood is understood
 

Nothing

Before you start reading
Put the pen down
And look at the dripping ink
How it understands bleeding.
 
Learn
 
In the distance of the horizon
And the narrowness of the eyes, the expanse of the vision
And the betrayal of the fingers
 
Do not blame me/do not blame anyone
If you die before you read anything
Before we understand bleeding.
 
 
 

Original Poem by

Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi

Translated by

Atef Alshaer with Sarah Maguire Language

Arabic

Country

Sudan