وبلغيهم سلاما من اخي شجن
في قلبه من فراق القوم اشجان

ابن عربي


Send them this greeting from a grieving kin, whose heart
still reels from the instant he was cleaved from them.

Ibn Arabi, from his Interpreter of Desires.

This is that the leaving
of a lover from his lover
grieving for the going of
the spirit from its body
leaving when the clouds bring
wind that rises then you
beyond the city cannot move
or pass O generous prince from it
onto the white sand
you could call your rest so
you who parted from us one
day do not ever go
_______

My very liberal translation of an Al Mutanabbi poem.

Um

There is an M inside my mouth
an Um where my Mother should
be a razor hidden under

my tongue where my mouth
opens mimicking the one
who splits me for metal

Um me I can’t repeat those
words that move the blade
too close against my M

or be moved to slip my tongue
against its edge slipping
invisibly into you.

كفى حزناً أني أناديك دائباً
كأني بعيد أو كأنك غائب

واطلب منك الفضل من غير رغبة
فلم أر قبلي زاهداً وهو راغب


It’s sad enough that I continually call you, bellowing as though
from far away, or as if you were no longer there, while I'm the one

pursuing you for your favor devoid of pleasure; I could never see that
it was me who fed your ardor, not allowing you a flavor.

Al Hallaj

Codes

for M.H.

They found sweetness
at the root so called it

torture Found tekite
figures kept in tact

& called them white
They called to not

remember Forgot
to find again & found

roots resembling nerves
& called them

dyed by the ink
of what they found

there dictated
'til they were lost

So called themselves
Preserved

in the mouth of each
who repeated it

were those Who had
recalled