Saadi Yousef Translated from the Arabic by Salih J. Altoma Naked We are on our way to Allah for shrouds we have only our blood; for camphor, the eyeteeth of wolfish dogs. (*) The closed cell suddenly swung open to let in a female soldier our swollen eyes failed to clearly identify her perhaps she was from an ambiguous world she said nothing she was dragging my brother’s bleeding body, like a worn-out mat. Barefoot we will walk toward Allah with putrid feet with lacerated limbs Are the Americans Christians? in our cell we have nothing for anointing the prostrate corpse in our cell there is nothing but our blood clotting in our blood and the odor coming from the continent of slaughterhouses the Angels will not enter here. The air is stirring it’s the wings of hell’s bats The air is still. O Lord , we waited for you our cells were open yesterday we were lying motionless on its floor and you, O Lord, did not come. But we are on our way to you we’ll find the road to you even if you forsake us we are your dead sons we have trumpeted our Day of Resurrection Tell your Prophets to open for us the doors: the doors of cells and paradise Tell them we are coming we washed ourselves with dry sand (**) the Angels know us all … one by one... London May 10, 2004 __ (*) Islamic method of bathing a dead body includes washing the body with a mixture of water and camphor. (**) The poet uses here a Quranic verse which deals with ablution rituals before prayer. It recommends washing with dry sand or clean earth when water is not accessible.” And [if] ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, And rub therewith Your faces and hands.” The Quran IV: 43. Sa ‘di Yusuf, (known in American poetry journals as Saadi Youssef) [b. 1934 Basrah, Iraq] is one of the most prolific and greatest contemporary Arab poets. He has published more than forty works of poetry and prose, including translations of selected poems by Walt Whitman. As a committed secular and revolutionary poet Yusuf is widely known for his uncompromising opposition to Saddam Husayn’s regime. Currently living in London, Yusuf has lived most of his life in exile in Arab and European countries. A collection of his poetry was recently published in the United States under the title Without an Alphabet, Without a Face (Graywolf, 2002). This poem is translated into English with the poet’s permission. Salih J. Altoma is professor emeritus of Arabic and Comparative Literature at Indiana University.
|