This edition comprises the English-Arabic translation and analysis of the poetry of Ahmed Fouad Negm. The work of poet Ahmed Fouad Negm has sparked flashes from my past, as all his sceneries, vernacular, and intimate connection to the poorest peasants of Egypt revived my dormant memories as never before. Negm’s brilliant and acute artistic senses enabled him to spare great traditional rituals from the sprawl of urbanization and global invasion of foreign cultures, throughout all corners of the universe. His unwavering expression of ideas, over many decades ahead of his own generation, has concluded mostly in realistic prophecies. That made the profane and rejected poem at true prophet of his era. The myth of how a poor orphaned city dweller could have expanded his knowledge, where many affluent figures of society failed to attain, invoked my deepest curiosity.
The poem “Ward”, or “Al Anbarra” in Arabic, is an emotional depiction of the salute of release of an imprisoned person by the prison guards. This is a traditional Opera-styled salute executed by all prison guards when a release order arrives
"Al-Anbara"
Waaaaaaaaaaard ..
All hear me
I Shook the dice..
Never aided me even once
Gambled with dowry and tipping..
Over One
Imprisonment for the free...
Even was bitter
Not once!..Reminded me
with repentance of that turn
Not once!
The first to the Prophet .. The second to Ayoub ..
Third my solitude.. And the Fourth the fate of
And the fifth..That bullied Must end up defeated
The first, O Prophet liberator of man, the balsam for the afflicted and
rescue of the oppressed
Honored the class of men over all animals
And raised the sword of guidance higher against tyranny
And shouted O my people .. At all times
Injustice if ever rules .. And right if ever demeaned
Deprives you of rain and harvest and civilization
Seas turn thirsty – In man and plants
Snakes run loose.. Vultures fill skies
Ruin falls on the mountain and the valley and the plains
Light parts skies.. Moon's face disappear
Sight lost in blindness and darkness and grief
And fear topples humans by the cruelty of the jailer
People fear each other ..Scare Sultan
The Second, I said, Ayoub and I are two examples
Ayoub when afflicted…Ayoub persevered two days
Stories about Ayoub gave him two names
Considered amongst prophets and illuminators together
And my patience here ..in the asylum is two
My patience for snatching me ..from knowledge and love
My patience on ..the rule of the age
The bully among us rules ..and the bully’s rule shame
Rule of animals over men ..rule of two horns
I swear by the grave of prophet ..Mohamed with his straight eyes
One day, will be erected..two scales not one
I look with satisfaction for ..justice in the two scales
And the Third, my solitude ..in the world of bullies
The bully is protected.. the free is afflicted
The jerk when empowered ..hired few drummers
Hustlers, imposters, thieves, and muggers
Those who love the prophet ..give another applause
Dancing spread in the country right and left
Flesh exposed.. Rose above words
Sounds of tunes unheard..Lyrics of poetry unnoticed
Strangulated words of sons..Tunes of bracelets
One for the one God
Two for the seriousness of Hussein
Three for the misery of envy
Four for the printing ink
Five for my living will
Six for coming tomorrow
Seven for my broken heart
Eight for the wanting of fellows
Nine for the world at large
Ten for the traitor insect
I inform all of you that the prison is a fence ..
I inform all of you that the thought is a light
I inform all of you that the prison is senile
I inform all of you that its door is fragile
I inform all of you that the revolution is a thought
I inform all of you that it will become a memorial
I promise all of you that the gathering is tomorrow
And the light within us and you.. Friends.
