Raed Wahesh. ‘Absence’.
Transnational Literature Vol.11 no.1, November 2018.
http://fhrc.flinders.edu.au/transnational/home.html
Raed Wahesh
ﻏ ﯾﺎ ب
1 ﻣ ﻧذ ﻏ ﺎﺑ و ا،
ﻻ ﻣ ﻛ ﺎ ن ﻟﻠ ﻘﺎ ء
إ ﻻ اﻟ ﻣ ﻧﺎ م ..
ﯾﻧ ﺗ ظ ر و ﻧﻧ ﺎ ﻛ ل ّ ﯾ م ّو
ﺑﺛ ب ﯾﺎ ﻧ ّ ظ ﺔ ّﯾﻔ
و ذ ﻗ و ن ﺣ ﻠﯾ ﺔ ّﻘ
ﻛ ﻣ ﺎ ﯾﻠ ﯾ ق ﺑﺎ ﻟ ﻣ و ا ﻋ ﯾد اﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ط ﻔﯾ ﺔ ..
ﯾ ﻌ ﺎﺗ ﺑ و ن ﻋ ﯾ و ﻧﻧ ﺎ
إ ن ّ ﺗﺄ ﺧ ّ ر ت ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻹ ﻏ ﻣ ﺎ ض
،
و ﯾ ﺣ ز ﻧ ﮭ م أ ن ﯾﻠ ﻣ ﺳ و ا ﻓﯾ ﮭ ﺎ
أ و ل ّ ا ﻹ ﺻ ﺑﺎ ح ..
ﯾ ر ﯾد و ﻧﻧ ﺎ أ ن ﻧﺑ ﻘ ﻰ ھ ﻧﺎ ك
ﻟ ﺷ د ّ ة ﻣ ﺎ ﯾﻘ ﺿ و ن و ﻗﺗ ّ ﺎ ﻣ ﻣ ﻼ ّ . .
ﺑﯾ ﻧ ﻣ ﺎ ﻧﺗ ذ ّ ر ع ﺑﺄ ﺷ ﯾﺎ ء ﺿ ر و ر ﯾ ﺔ
ﻛ ﻲ ﻧ ﻐ ﺎد ر ھ م إﻟ ﻰ ﺣ ة ّﯾﺎ
ﻻ ﻧﻔ ﻌ ل ﻓﯾ ﮭ ﺎ ﺷ ﯾﺋ ّ ﺎ
ﺳ و ى اﻧ ﺗ ظ ﺎ ر ھ م ..
ھ ل ﻧ ﺣ ن ﻣ ن ﻧ ﺻ ﺣ و ﻟﻧ ﻠﺗ ﺣ ق ﺑ ﮭ م
؟
أم أﻧ ﮭ م ﻣ ن ﯾﻧ ﺎ ﻣ و ن ﻟﯾ ﻧ ﺿ ﻣ و ا إﻟ ﯾﻧ ﺎ
؟
ﻛ ﻠﻧ ﺎ ﻏ ﺎﺋ ﺑ و ن
ﻋ ﻧ ﮭ م
و ﻋ ﻧﺎ
و ﯾﻧ ﻘ ﺻ ﻧﺎ ﻣ و ت ّ ﯾ ﺟ ﻣ ﻊ ﺷ ﻣ ل اﻟ ﻌ ﺎﺋ ﻠ ﺔ .
photo © Ahmad Alrifaee
Raed Wahesh. ‘Absence’.
Transnational Literature Vol. 11 no. 1, November 2018.
http://fhrc.flinders.edu.au/transnational/home.html
2
2
Absence
1
Since they’ve left
the only place we can meet is in the dream.
They wait for us every day with clothes cleaned and beards shaven as is fitting for dates.
They reproach our eyes if they don’t shut quickly
and it grieves them if they touch daybreak in those eyes.
They want us to stay here because they are bored
While we use important things as an excuse
Raed Wahesh. ‘Absence’.
Transnational Literature Vol. 11 no. 1, November 2018.
http://fhrc.flinders.edu.au/transnational/home.html
3
to leave them so we can return to our lives where all we can do is wait for them again.
Is it us who wakes to catch them up?
Or is it them who falls asleep to join us?
We all are absent from them
and from ourselves.
We’re just lacking a death to reunite the family.
2
Do you still have those kind eyes like a house in the countryside?
Do you still have that dry hair,
Which seems like it is full with dust when sunlight passes through it?
Do you still believe, as if god had promised you prophesy?
What did they do to you?
What is missing in your photo?
Tell us
Help our imagination so we can see you.
3
They want you to stay alive To endure torture for years
So they will not die despairing of waiting for you.
Didn’t I tell you that
Hope is a school for egoists?
Raed Wahesh
translated by Henry Holland & Hazem Shekho
