This poem is taken from PN Review 200, Volume 37 Number 6, June - July 2011.
Four Poems Translated from the Arabic by Robert Minhinnick
Boy
He strikes a match
and is brave once more.
Now, who cares about the bombings and the war?
As long as fire shields shadows
he will not fear Pharaohs.
Girl
The revolution
was a long time ago.
It only makes her yawn.
But when she skips she feels the whole green earth
and is glad that she is born.
Decision
When all else fails
a woman still has her fingernails.
The Sand Station
The world will be a poorer place tomorrow.
Before he has the chance to open his newspaper
in his favourite seaside café,
immediately after the first sip of coffee,
...
He strikes a match
and is brave once more.
Now, who cares about the bombings and the war?
As long as fire shields shadows
he will not fear Pharaohs.
Girl
The revolution
was a long time ago.
It only makes her yawn.
But when she skips she feels the whole green earth
and is glad that she is born.
Decision
When all else fails
a woman still has her fingernails.
The Sand Station
The world will be a poorer place tomorrow.
Before he has the chance to open his newspaper
in his favourite seaside café,
immediately after the first sip of coffee,
...
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