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Adding more poets to my collection of Tammuzi poets, I have just found a few poems by Muhammad al-Mughat from Lebanon. This one, “When the Words Burn” exhibits the kind of duende I associate with Lorca, but, given the Arabic influence on Adalusian poetry, I can see where it comes from. Check it out:
Lebanon… white woman under the water;
mountains of breasts and fingernails.
Scream, voiceless country!
Raise your arm high till the shoulder splits
and follow me, the empty ship,
the wind laden with bells.
Over the faces of mothers and captive women,
over the cold ashes of verses and metres
I will spurt fountains of honey,
I will write about trees or shoes, roses or boys.
Tell the misery to depart,
tell the pretty hunchbacked boy
that my fingers are long as needles,
that my eyes are two wounded heroes,
that this is the last day for verses.
When Lebanon breaks, and the slow nights of poetry close
I shall put a bullet in my throat.
mountains of breasts and fingernails.
Scream, voiceless country!
Raise your arm high till the shoulder splits
and follow me, the empty ship,
the wind laden with bells.
Over the faces of mothers and captive women,
over the cold ashes of verses and metres
I will spurt fountains of honey,
I will write about trees or shoes, roses or boys.
Tell the misery to depart,
tell the pretty hunchbacked boy
that my fingers are long as needles,
that my eyes are two wounded heroes,
that this is the last day for verses.
When Lebanon breaks, and the slow nights of poetry close
I shall put a bullet in my throat.
What a stunning translation!