Poetry

…All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind Don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky It slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind… — from Dust in the Wind, lyrics by Kansas This post focuses on how the significance of a twelfth-century poem has shifted over time and geography according to its audiences.

This month we have a Sufi love poem by Ibn Arabi, a chance to rest from your tasks and worries. This poem contains some of the most-quoted lines of poetry in Sufism and in anthologies of pre-modern Arabic literature. Usually only a few lines are included, as in these two examples: My heart is capable of every form: Pasture for deer, a monastery for monks, Temple for idols, pigrim’s Ka’bah,

This post presents a new translation of an old poem, a qaṣῑda from classical Arabic literature. The poet is Abu Nuwas (who lived c. 757-814), but this is not a typical Abu Nuwas poem. Instead, it provides a nice example of a standard and celebrated praise poem (essential for poets to make a living in this time). Enjoy! PDF copy of this post available here for easy printing or to save for later.

Hisham al-Gokh gave a stunning live performance of this poem – see here. When this poem first came out, several years ago, it captured my attention with its simplicity and its brave criticism. He points the finger of blame at authorities in the Arab region, but there is also a note of self-criticism. Hisham al-Gokh’s live, televised performance of Al-Tashira / The Visa It’s time to post a new translation of this poem now because this is a powerful poem about tackling problems in one’s own society, owning up to the failure of childhood dreams and empty ideologies, and giving voice to the dreams that live on and provide hope for a better future for all.