May I recommend -- Poetry

One of the advantages of being an arab - and there aren't that many advantages to being an arab most of the times in sucks being one - but one of the great things about being an arab is arabic poetry. I speak 4 languages and each one of them is beautiful in its own way. I am not gonna tell you that one language is more beautiful than another, because I think each language contains its own special beauty that needs to be appreciated on its own without comparison to another language. However till this day, arabic poetry has the ability to move me in ways that no other poetry does. The music in the language, the magic in the rhythmic words is enchanting. The problem is how to share arabic poetry with people who don't speak the language. Most of the time when I read arabic poetry translated into English, I feel like I am reading something completely different. Same meaning but the magical part is gone. However there are a few notable exceptions that I would like to share with you.

The first is "The Prophet" By Khalil Gobran. This book is not a translation because Khalil Gobran wrote both the english and arabic versions himself. It took him 3 years to finish it and while he was working on it he carried the manuscript with him everywhere he went. When you read the book you can sense the intensity and measured precision that is contained in each word. I think that both the arabic and english versions are equal.




The second example I would like to share is, a collection of traslations of arabic poetry that samples the best of the best from a long list of poets. Because it is focused on the free verse movement in arabic poetry the translation is easier to capture the intended original effect. I also like that on each page you have the arabic poem in its original form on the left hand side and the english translation on the right handside, so if you speak arabic you can enjoy both. It contains poems by Al Sayaab, Nazek al Malaeka, Ehsaan Abed Al Qudoos and many others.



I would be interested to hear from others about their favorite arab poets or poems.

p.s. normally I get offended when people call me a capitalist pig, but from you Politburo Diktat it is a compliment.