Translated and introduced by Parwana Fayyaz

Mahbouba Ibrahimi is an Afghan poet currently residing in Sweden. Born in 1977 in the province of Kandahar, her poetry reflects Afghanistan’s recent history and the suffering of the Afghan people on a global scale. She writes primarily in Persian (Dari), with her latest poetry collection being published just a month before the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

In the following four poems, Mahbouba intertwines contemporary events with the ancient history that has shaped the land now known as Afghanistan. The first poem, ‘I used to think…’, emerges from a personal and private space, expressing the poet’s sense of losing belief in things that once held deep meaning for her: love, religion and her homeland. Here, the poet recounts how she fled this homeland, leaving behind the love and religion she once believed could save her.

Mahbouba’s poem ‘From the eyes of a woman’ still sends shivers down my spine. I cannot recall reading a poem like this in a very long time. It is powerful and resonates with profound truth, particularly when, through the eyes of an Afghan woman, the world is seen as both terrifying and yet filled with courage and resilience.

The poems ‘Neither Allahuddin, the world-burner’ and ‘Hug me’ explore the intricacies of history, engaging with historical figures – powerful men who have conquered the land of Afghanistan over the centuries. This land, ironically left as a ‘treasure’ to our poet, a woman, is the one she promises to return to only when the war ends. Yet, Even then, she pleads with the same homeland to offer her comfort and peace, imploring that even God does not yet know how to provide.


I used to think

I used to think
the fragrant lips of love
the strong arms of religion
and the warm embrace of motherland
would forever save me
now I’m grateful to love
to have found a better prey
for it has lifted its teeth from my throat
allowing me to breathe in
the scent of pines
...