This post is continued from here.
Poetry, May 2023 publishes the Arabic text of Mona Kareem’s poem Lailayāt (“Nights”) along with a translation into English by Sara Elkamel.
My translation follows below.
tawallada ^ajūz(un) baina yad(aī) šajaraẗ(in)
tuqaddimu lī tuffāḥaẗ(an) masmūmaẗ(an)
tarā hal sa-‘amūtu min-hā?
‘am sa-‘uṣbiḥu šajaraẗ(an)?
5
Born between a tree’s two hands, a crone
proffers me a poisonous apple.
Do you think I’ll die from it,
or will I turn into a tree?
nazīf(u)-l-qamar(i) fī-ṣabāḥ(i) yuqallidu-nī
‘ibtisāmaẗ(u)-l-šams(i) fī-l-masā’(i) tasẖaru min-nī
6
At morning the moon’s bleeding just like me.
By end of day I’m the grinning sun’s punchline.
‘al-fatāẗ(u)-n-nā^imaẗ(u)-l-^ainān(i)
tudaḡdiḡu laila-yātī
fa-‘u^īdu kulla lailaẗ(in) mušāhadaẗ(a) šarīṭ(i) maut(i)
7
The girl with the soft eyes tickles my every night,
so nightly I watch reruns of my demise.
(c) 2023 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved
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