When the hurricane swirled and spread its deluge
of dark evil
onto the good green land
'they' gloated. The western skies
...
Hamza was just an ordinary man
like others in my hometown
who work only with their hands for bread.
When I met him the other day,
...
Time's out and I'm home alone with the shadow I cast
Gone is the law of the universe, scattered by frivolous fate
Nothing to hold down my things
Nothing to weigh them to the floor
...
The wind blows the pollen in the night
through ruins of fields and homes.
Earth shivers with love,
with the pain of giving birth,
...
Fadwa Touqan (Arabic: فدوى طوقان, also transliterated as Fadwa Tuqan, Spanish: Fadwa Tuqan, French: Fadwa Touquan and Fadwa Touqan; 1917 in Nablus – 2003), was well known for her representations of resistance to Israeli occupation in contemporary Arab poetry.[1] Touqan's poetry is known for her distinctive chronicling of the suffering of her people, the Palestinian, particularly those living under Israeli occupation.[2] Born in Nablus to the wealthy Palestinian Touqan family known for their accomplishments in many fields, she received schooling until age 13 when she was forced to quit school at a young age due to illness. One of her brothers, Ibrahim Touqan, known as the Poet of Palestine, took responsibility of educating her, gave her books to read and taught her English. He was also the one who introduced her to poetry.[2] Touqan eventually attended Oxford University, where she studied English and literature.[2] Fadwa Touqan's eldest brother is Ahmad Toukan, former Prime Minister of Jordan. Touqan eventually published eight poetry collections, which were translated into many languages and enjoy renown throughout the Arab World.[2] Her book, "Alone With the Days," focused on the hardships faced by women in the male-dominated Arab world.[2] After the Six-Day War, Touqan's poetry focused on the hardships of living under the Israeli occupation. One of her best known poems, "The Night and the Horsemen," described life under Israeli military rule. Touqan died on December 12, 2003 during the height of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, while her hometown of Nablus was under siege.[1][3] The poem Wahsha: Moustalhama min Qanoon al Jathibiya (Longing: Inspired by the Law of Gravity) was one of the last poems she penned while largely bedridden.[1] Touqan is widely considered a symbol of the Palestinian cause and "one of the most distinguished figures of modern Arabic literature."[1][2] Touqan's poetry is set by Mohammed Fairouz in his Third Symphony.[4])
The Deluge And The Tree
When the hurricane swirled and spread its deluge
of dark evil
onto the good green land
'they' gloated. The western skies
reverberated with joyous accounts:
'The Tree has fallen !
The great trunk is smashed! The hurricane leaves no life in the Tree!'
Had the Tree really fallen?
Never! Not with our red streams flowing forever,
not while the wine of our thorn limbs
fed the thirsty roots,
Arab roots alive
tunneling deep, deep, into the land!
When the Tree rises up, the branches
shall flourish green and fresh in the sun
the laughter of the Tree shall leaf
beneath the sun
and birds shall return
Undoubtedly, the birds shall return.
The birds shall return.
It is poetry of very high order