Picture of Saghir Oulad Ahmed borrowed off http://www.doroob.com
This is the original poem in Arabic. It appeared in doroob.com on December 11, 2012.
هذا أنا.. ~ أولاد أحمد
هذا أنا..
فكّرتُ في شعبٍ يقول : نعمْ ولاَ
عدّلتُ ما فكّرتُ فيهِ لأنّني – ببساطةٍ – عدّلتُ ما فكّرتُ فيهِ
فكّرتُ في شعبٍ يقولُ : نعمْ لـِ : لاَ
فكّرتُ في عددِ الضحايا واليتامى والأراملِ
واللصوصْ
فكّرتُ في هربِ الحروفِ من النصوصْ.
فكّرتُ في شعبٍ يغادرُ أرضهُ
بنسائهِ ورجالهِ
وجِمالهِ وكلابهِ.
فكّرتُ في تلكَ اليتيمةِ – في الحكومةِ ـ
وحدها تستوردُ التصفيقْ
من حفلٍ لسوبرانو يُغنّي للغزالةِ
والعدالةِ والمسيحْ.
فكّرتُ في صمتٍ فصيحْ
مضتِ الحياةُ كما مضتْ
مضت الحياةُ تهافُتًا وَ.. سبهلا
سأقولُ للأعشى الكبير قصيدة في البار،
إن نفذَ الشرابُ، وصاح في ليلِ المدينةِ ديكُها وغُرابُها :
- يــــــــــا ناسُ
ليس هناكَ – بعدَ الآنَ – غَدْ.
“This is Me..”A Poem by Saghir Oulad Ahmed (Translated by Ali Znaidi)
This is me..
I thought of a people that says, Yes & No.
I adjusted what I had thought of because – simply – I
adjusted what I had thought of.
I thought of a people that says, Yes to No.
I thought of the number of victims, orphans, and widows,
& thieves.
I thought of letters fleeting from the texts.
I thought of a people/ women & men/ camels & dogs
leaving their land.
I thought of that orphan – in the government –
She was solely importing clapping
from a soprano’s concert that is singing to the gazelle,
justice, & the Christ.
I thought of an eloquent silence.
Life has gone as it has gone.
Life has gone in rushing, & in vain.
I will say a poem to Al-Asha al Kabir in the bar,
if wine runs out & the cock and the crow of the city
cry in its night:
“– O, folks!
There is no tomorrow – after now – over there.”
Mohamed Sgaier Awlad Ahmed’s Bio:
Mohamed Sgaier Awlad Ahmed (sometimes Saghir Oulad Ahmed) is a Tunisian poet. He was born in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid in 1955. He was invited to several international poetry festivals and read his poetry in most Tunisian cities. Awlad Ahmed’s poetry is mostly known for its satire, humour, and caustic remarks. His poems are translated into several European languages.
