Nizar Qabbani poems
Nizar Qabbani(1923 - 1998 / Damascus / Syria)
Barada
- by Nizar Qabbani 111
Barada, oh father of all riversOh, horse that races the days
Be, in our sad history, a prophet
Who receives inspiration from his lord
Millions acknowledge you as an Arab
Prince . . . so pray as an imam
Oh eyes of the gazelle in the desert of Sham
Look down. This is the age of lavender
They have detained you in the pavilions for a long time
We have woven tents from tears
God has witnessed that we have broken no promise
Or secured protection for those we love
In The Summer
- by Nizar Qabbani 80
In the summerI stretch out on the shore
And think of you
Had I told the sea
What I felt for you,
It would have left its shores,
Its shells,
Its fish,
And followed me.
Translated by B. Frangieh And C. Brown
Submitted by Noele Aabye