Government forces bombed the city of Aleppo now: image via baraa al halabi @baraaalhalabi, 22 April 2016
Fouad Mohammed Fouad: Aleppo Diary
1.
Writing is pain.
And the blood that drips down the screen pollutes the atmosphere staining the couch with what looks like dried coffee, which we touch with trembling fingers
so we don't get infected.
We manage with broken backs as if going to hell seeing dark red -- no, brown as well -- which deposits a residue like rust in the soul.
We stroke their old heads then turn aside to lick away the tears.
Those who crawl from street to screen leave green traces on the asphalt that spring into bushes of basil; they toss us a flower and die in haste to spare our shame.
Now you've entered the sacred valley, take off your shoes and walk on broken glass.
2.
The comrades in reading have fallen asleep.
You wander alone through the book stacks
with no sign of an exit.
From the third shelf on the right comes a groan --
a whole chapter expelled from a novel.
Laughter the tragic title
for a book of philosophy.
Politics flows like phlegm from one shelf to another.
There is no time for epic
for The Book of Delight and Intimacy
as Machado eases open the book covers
gently, so as not to disturb the ornaments.
We are the proofs of books
full of paragraphs in need of revision.
3.
I sit on the balcony. Aleppo spread before me black and deserted. The clatter of crockery in the dark means life goes on. No sound save sporadic gunfire from somewhere, then a single shell preceded by a peculiar whistle. Someone is leaving this planet with a dry throat. Aleppo before me black and still. These huge shadows might be trees or childhood goblins or black vapours exhaled by women waiting for children who are already numbers in a news report.
Aleppo. No oud plucked. No 'Swaying Silhouette'. No drinks in The Nightingale. No drinkers. No song.
One by one
they awaken
the beasts of darkness.
Aftermath of regime airstrikes on #Aleppo today #Syria - @arabthomness: image via Conflict News @Conflicts, 22 April 2016
(1)
الكتابة ألم.
والدم الذي ينقط على الشاشة يلوث المشهد ويترك على الكنبة مايشبه بقع القهوة الجافة نلمسها بأصابع مرتجفة كي لا تنتقل الينا العدوى
نستند بظهور مكسورة كأننا ذاهبون الى الجحيم بعيون مغبشة بالاحمر الداكن.. لكنه بنيٌّ أيضاً ويترك على الروح مايشبه الصدأ
نمسح على الرؤوس الهرمة ونهرب من لفظها ثم نلعق الملح الذي يسيل من العيون.
الذين يزحفون من طرف الشارع الى طرف الشاشة يتركون على الاسفلت أثراً أخضراً سرعان ما يكبر مثل سياج من الحبق، يرموننا بوردة ويموتون على عجل كي لانخجل منا
والدم الذي ينقط على الشاشة يلوث المشهد ويترك على الكنبة مايشبه بقع القهوة الجافة نلمسها بأصابع مرتجفة كي لا تنتقل الينا العدوى
نستند بظهور مكسورة كأننا ذاهبون الى الجحيم بعيون مغبشة بالاحمر الداكن.. لكنه بنيٌّ أيضاً ويترك على الروح مايشبه الصدأ
نمسح على الرؤوس الهرمة ونهرب من لفظها ثم نلعق الملح الذي يسيل من العيون.
الذين يزحفون من طرف الشارع الى طرف الشاشة يتركون على الاسفلت أثراً أخضراً سرعان ما يكبر مثل سياج من الحبق، يرموننا بوردة ويموتون على عجل كي لانخجل منا
... اخلعْ نعليك الآن وامشِ على قطع الزجاج.. إنك في الوادي المقدس.
(2)
"رفاق القراءة نائمون.
تتجول وحيداً بين رفوف المكتبة
دون إشارات تدل على المخرج.
الأنين على اليمين من الرف الثالث
فصل كامل مطرود من الرواية،
والضحك عنوان مأساوي
لكتاب في الفلسفة.
تسيل السياسة كالمخاط من رف لآخر
لا وقت للملاحم
لكتاب الإمتاع والمؤانسة
حيث ماتشادو يدفع الغلاف المقوى برفق
كي لاتسقط الصحون
..
نحن أشبه ما نكون بمسودات الكتب
مليئين بالمقاطع التي تحتاج الى تنقيح"
دون إشارات تدل على المخرج.
الأنين على اليمين من الرف الثالث
فصل كامل مطرود من الرواية،
والضحك عنوان مأساوي
لكتاب في الفلسفة.
تسيل السياسة كالمخاط من رف لآخر
لا وقت للملاحم
لكتاب الإمتاع والمؤانسة
حيث ماتشادو يدفع الغلاف المقوى برفق
كي لاتسقط الصحون
..
نحن أشبه ما نكون بمسودات الكتب
مليئين بالمقاطع التي تحتاج الى تنقيح"
(3)
على شرفة البيت أجلس، حلب أمامي سوداء وموحشة، قرقعة صحون في
العتمة تعني ان ثمة حياة تحدث على طاولة. لا نأمة سوى رشقات رصاص متقطعة من
مكان ما وقذيفة واحدة يسبقها صفير غريب... ثمة من يترك الان هذا الكوكب
بحلق جاف.
حلب أمامي سوداء وساكنة، الظلال العملاقة هذه ربما لأشجار ربما لغيلان قادمة من حكايات بعيدة في الطفولة ربما هو بخار اسود تنفثنه الآن نساء ينتظرن اولاداً صاروا أرقاماً في نشرة الاخبار
حلب.. لا نقرة عود.. لا قدٌ يميس.. لا كأس في "العندليب"* .. لا ندامى .. ولاغناء
..
..
واحداً فواحداً
يستيقظون،
حلب أمامي سوداء وساكنة، الظلال العملاقة هذه ربما لأشجار ربما لغيلان قادمة من حكايات بعيدة في الطفولة ربما هو بخار اسود تنفثنه الآن نساء ينتظرن اولاداً صاروا أرقاماً في نشرة الاخبار
حلب.. لا نقرة عود.. لا قدٌ يميس.. لا كأس في "العندليب"* .. لا ندامى .. ولاغناء
..
..
واحداً فواحداً
يستيقظون،
Fouad Mohammed Fouad (b. 1961): Aleppo Diary (2016), translated by Samuel Wilder with The Poetry Translation Workshop, 2016
A Syrian man evacuates an area following a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Hayy Aqyul in Syria's second city Aleppo: photo by Ameer Alhalbi/AFP, 22 April 2016
A Syrian man evacuates an area following a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Hayy Aqyul in Syria's second city Aleppo: photo by Ameer Alhalbi/AFP, 22 April 2016
Aftermath of the Assad barrel bomb attack on Anadan in north rural #Aleppo, #Syria today: image via Sami @Paradoxy13, 22 April 2016
Aftermath of regime airstrikes on #Aleppo today #Syria - @arabthomness: image via Conflict News @Conflicts, 22 April 2016
Aftermath of regime airstrikes on #Aleppo today #Syria - @arabthomness: image via Conflict News @Conflicts, 22 April 2016
#Syria: At least 5 civilians killed, tens wounded in today's heavy regime airstrikes on rebel-held parts of #Aleppo: image via Sakir Khader @sakirkhader, 22 April 2016
#Syria: At least 5 civilians killed, tens wounded in today's heavy regime airstrikes on rebel-held parts of #Aleppo: image via Sakir Khader @sakirkhader, 22 April 2016
#Syria: At least 5 civilians killed, tens wounded in today's heavy regime airstrikes on rebel-held parts of #Aleppo: image via Sakir Khader @sakirkhader, 22 April 2016
#Syria: At least 5 civilians killed, tens wounded in today's heavy regime airstrikes on rebel-held parts of #Aleppo: image via Sakir Khader @sakirkhader, 22 April 2016
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