أغنية
ماثلٌ للريح
في قبعة لا تخفي
بمعطفٍ يلتفُّ — على عمود الغبار
النحيلُ
يرى فضاءاً
ولا يقطفُ وردةً
حتى يراكْ
( بالممرّ الضيق
بين أكوام الزبالةِ
يُشْهِرُ منقارَه
ويضربُ بالأجنحة !)
Song
Facing down wind in a dust-storm
wrapped up in his cloak
and wearing a hat that can’t make him vanish —
this skinny man
scans the horizon
gathering — but not quite yet — flowers
until the moment you meet
(… but stuck in this narrow alleyway
among mountains of rubbish
he longs to lift up his beak
unfurl his wings
and take flight…)
The main thing I need to tell you about this song is that it is a love poem (forgive me if I am stating the obvious!). Like in his previous poem Saddiq uses a scene to convey his idea: sad and frustrated by lack of magic powers and engulfed in dust this thin man is singing this song to his lover.… The last bracketed part stands for his determination to strive (to meet his lover?) despite everything… and I think it will be great if we could make the last line about wings much more beautiful or make the idea of him flying clearer….
Facing the wind
wearing a hat that won't make him vanish
and cloaked in his coat - in the midst of a dusty storm
the thin man
will browse the space (i.e. with his eyes)
he will not yet pick you flowers
until it is time to meet (literally it says: Until he sees you)
(…but in this narrow alleyway
among mounts of junk and rubbish
he'd lift his beak up
and flap his wings…" i.e to fly")