Victims of a Map Published in 1984, is a bilingual (Arabic / English) anthology presenting three undeniably influential Arabic-language poets: Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish, Samih Al Qasim and Syrian Adonis. At 165 pages this is a slim volume, Editor and translator Abdullah al-Udhari offers an introduction to the book as well as a brief introduction to each poet.
Perhaps the least known of these poets is Palestinian Druze Samih al-Qasim. Born in Jordon in 1939 and now living in Israel.Samih has published dozens of poetry volumes and has been imprisoned numerous times for both his writing and political activism. His work represented in this anthology is unabashedly political. He chooses direct discourse over the image and lofty language, and crafts poems that are equal parts outcry and indictment.Here is Samih's 3 poems translated by Abdullah al-Udhari:
ABANDONING
I saw her
I saw her in the square
I saw her bleeding in the square
I saw her staggering in the square
I saw her being killed in the square
I saw her...I saw her...
And when he shouted
Who is her guardian?
I denied knowing her
I left her in the square
I left her bleeding in the square
I left her staggering in the square
I left her dying in the square
I left her...
HOW I BECAME AN ARTICLE
They killed me once
Then wore my face many times
END OF A DISCUSSION WITH A JAILER
From the window of my small cell
I can see trees smiling at me,
Roofs filled with my people,
Windows weeping and praying for me.
From the window of my small cell
I can see your large cell.
Samih Al Quasim
