Long Mortar Poems

Fadwa Tuqan has been called the Grand Dame of Palestinian letters and The Poet of Palestine. These are my translations of Fadwa Tuqan poems originally written in Arabic.



Enough for Me
by Fadwa Tuqan 
loose translation/interpretation by...

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English translations of Arabic poems by Fadwa Tuqan aka "The Poet of Palestine"

Enough for Me
by Fadwa Tuqan 
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Enough for me to lie in the earth,
to be buried in her,
to sink...

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Yet at this very moment the cathedral was crumbling
down upon the cries of foresaken refugees, 
the monastery's walls wobbling from war's wreckage, 
and as the black bursts billowed into sun drenched brutality
with the bodies of...

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Once wars were fought with sticks and stones
to flog the flesh and batter bones
and conquer lands, defending thrones -
though gods provoke, not one atones. 

The multitude (by hordes beset
with battle-ax or bayonet)
braved blades, dyed red...

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March 18-27

This time I woke, 
He was staring readily,
Smiling, plotting steadily

I lifted my body and gently gazed at his grotesque beauty
He was always at his best in thought…

“You look ravishing…” He began. 
“Mouth-parched, crusty-eyed, hair...

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oh youth in all its callow shades
               is from our hope, precisely made
        ...

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Dead Man Tales
shards of glass pearl the emperor's rise,
his arms embracing upon our sins and lies, 

do not deceive yourself , my friend.
in the twilight of our beings our corruption merges and blends.

there is no...

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HEADSTONES AND CHATTELS 

‘Twas pure chance that I discovered
Just the other day,
A place passed 
Countless times,
Never had the thought of calling in,
Inner thoughts and misplaced fears
Oh there must have been countless other reasons
For one to...

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Night Moods 

Stars weep, they cry in the night sky
for those who laugh in the light of day, 
yet, not with spirit, heart soul or eye.
They see not the game they play,
nor understand what laughter...

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My auntie winter's icy breath wacked my bare face hard, when I step out earlier on
She gave me the cold shoulder and iced me out with a frosty glare for no reason at all 
it's...

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(An Echo Poem)

 

Poet’s Prenote:

This is a new poetic form that I have invented (I think)? I call it an Echo Poem where two stand alone poems (with their own titles) are given a new...

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I circled around the park three times and continue journeying towards the west
On my first cycle I met a couple sitting on the corner watching me like big brother
The young man shouted at me in...

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Devil's advocate claims Teflon Trump...

The demagogue reincarnate 
feels gifted to reign supreme
captivates, glorifies, lauds, 
renounces, yawps extreme
views bellows dogmatic fulminations
in an attempt to redeem
stolen 2020 capital one bid.

Which hunter (biden his time) 
will reap grim...

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We have all been given access to unite
To no longer walk in confusion of the night
Sadly, many who claim to be of Jesus church
Still building own ways for their souls search
So much division, hate, confusion...

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In golden chains of bondage, was the royal queen
Brought forth, force to kneel, before the newly crowned
Pharaoh of Egypt!
Branded a heretic, a blasphemer of the Gods, a traitor to
Her people, unworthy to wear the serpents...

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Ban Me Thuot
By Franklin Price
8/31/2018

Out in the Central highlands, far away from Cam Ranh Bay,
In the town of Ban Me Thuot was a place where I would stay.
There was no space available at any compounds...

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Marching out of the cloaked shires
Of landowners, stockbrokers, 
Hereditary Peers, and ruddy faced 
Squires:
A vast multitude of many varied 
Tribes.
Amassing in the great cities, where,
Inhabiting shadowy chambers, 
Behind nodding sighs and hushed 
Whispers, 
The Masonic...

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"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anaïs Nin







“Man Eating Flower” 



Voluptuous lips 
Velvet soft and slick
mouth words that skip
and crush off wet tongues to 
french kiss and swallow
all...

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Their story haunts my memory, I'll tell it to you plain..
in the city of Sarajevo, a place war could never touch,
and hope it never will again.

Already thousands remain so silent under rock and clay, 
in...

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Who would milk the Tigress
				
                				    wears no armour    gasmask
				pail within squat thighs
					nor bloodless...

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NINETEEN FORTY TWO
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS


As a young man in Jersey I wanted to be a cop
One sunday morning that dream came to a stop
Our nation had been a victim of a vicious attack
By an aggressive...

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Brumby.

A strong gale cuts its path across the snow laden mountain tops,
light and tough the timor, thoroughbred mix, leads his mob at a trot.
A day spend grazing the valley below they now ascend the range...

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THE BLOODY TOWER

I am so trapped a phantom princess, on an ethereal plain, spiritually
Forgotten in isolation's domain, in hell's chamber of brick and mortar,
In this imprisonment of the unjust, I'm the innocent accursed, in England's
Bloody...

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sun rays settle skies
prism shelters diversity -
kids breaking hard bricks

wind spreads gentle seeds
prayer evokes mute silence -
too many lost souls

rain drops whet dry soil
scope scoops whirlpools of dry tears -
god should know better

earth circles tailspins
faith...

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Military maneuvers,
conducted by starship troopers,
make a Lot of king Chedorlaomer noise

Earhole space
penetrated by the Pentagon puffing pace ... 
stealth sound of smoke signals
Warning drumbeat signs 
of an incoming, deadly drone invasion

Attack helicopters hover
over tempting topography...

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