Fairuz in her Beyrouthian garden of an afternoon in May

Ah, yes, now I remember; yes, now I clearly recall.
How of a glorious May dawn here in my beloved Beyrouth,
There did appear there before my eyes in that almond tree, an angel of the Lord who did say unto me,

“Nuriyah, beloved of the Almighty,
Be not anxious, for I am sent to thee as a messenger of God.
From before the womb the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a voice of love, light ‘n remembrance for thy people;
For thy people who dwell here upon the land ‘n for those away from her in painful exile.

From Jabal al Arz to Zuqaq el Blatt the Lord thy God has loved thee ‘n will always love thee.

A time is coming Nuriyah when thy will stand as a majestic white cloud upon the snowy summit of Mount Hermon.
Above thee will be the compassionate blue sky ‘n below the faithful land of Lubnan.
And at that time thy will smilingly say in thy heart,

‘My people it was not I of my own accord that did make it to this great height, less you should think it so;
Oh, no it was not I, but the grace of the Almighty working within me; yes, ‘n it was your unwavering love for me that has elevated me here to within hearing distance of Angels’ Sanctuary.’

Yet, Nuriyah, beloved of the Almighty.
Afore all this will come to pass a dagger will severely wound thy heart;
For thy people will for a time be letting themselves be with full forgetfulness of the love ‘n generosity of the Lord their God.
During this hour be with them, but sing not for them; sing not for them until they turn their hearts again to trusting in the Lord.
And when this veil of tears will have been removed from them, thy must come again among them ‘n sing to them with all thy heart of how the Lord hath blessed them with riches untold; had never forsaken them ‘n would again be with returning them to an even greater glory than in the days of yore.

Yes, sing to them from thy beauteous heart of the love of the Lord thy God for thee.
And with listening to thy divinely imbued voice the Lord thy God will be with moving their hearts back to the faith of Lubnan: Blessed land throughout the Ages;
back to the faith of its golden shoreline, flower garden fields ‘n cedar snowy slopes.”

Ah, yes, now I remember; yes, now I clearly recall.

فيروز في حديقتها البيروتية بعد ظهر يوم في أيار

أجل، أتذكر الآن؛ أجل، أذكر جيدا ً
كيف، في فجر يوم مجيد في أيار، هنا في بيروتي الحبيبة
ظهر أمام عيني، في شجرة اللوز ذلك، ملاك من عند الرب قائلا ً لي

"نورية، يا حبيبة القدير
لا تقلقي، لأنني مرسل اليك من الله
من قبل أن تتكوني في الرحم، قد اصطفاك الرب الهك لتكوني
صوت حب ونور وافتقاد لشعبك
لشعبك الساكن هنا في بلده، وذاك البعيد عنه في الاغتراب الأليم

من جبل الأرز الى زفاف البلاط قد أحبك الهك وسيحبك دائما ً

سيأتي وقت يا نورية تقفين فيه كغمامة بيضاء مهيبة
فوق قمة جبل حرمون المكسوة بالثلوج
وفوقك السماءالزرقاء الرحيمة، وتحتك أرض لبنان الوفي
وفي ذلك الوقت ستقولين مبتسمة في قلبك:
(يا شعبي، لست أنا من علوت من تلقاء نفسي هذا العلو العظيم
ان حسبتم الأمر هكذا
لا لست أنا، بل رحمة القدير العاملة في داخلي
أجل، ومحبتكم الأمينة لي التي رفعتني الى هنا، الى مجال سماع حرم الملائكة)

ولكن يا نورية، يا حبيبة القدير
قبل أن يحدث هذا كله سيجرح خنجر قلبك
لأن شعبك سيترك نفسه زمانا ً، ناسيا ً تماما ً محبة الرب الهه وجوده
وفي هذه الساعة كوني معي، ولكن لا تغني لهم
لا تغني لهم حتى يحولوا قلوبهم ثانية ً
الى الثقة بالرب
وعندما ينزع حجاب الدموع هذا عنهم
ينبغي أن تأتي ثانية بينهم وتغني لهم من كل قلبك
كيف باركهم الرب بثروة لا تحصى، ولم يتخل عنهم، وسيكون معهم ثانية ً
ليعيدهم الى مجد أعظم من الأيام العابرة

أجل، غني لهم من قلبك الجميل عن محبة الرب الهك لك
ومع سماع صوتك السماوي سيقوم الرب الهك بتحريك قلوبهم للرجوع
الى ايمان لبنان: البلد المبارك على مر العصور
الى ايمان شاطئه الذهبي، وحدائقه المزهرة، ومنحدرات أرزه المكسوة بالثلج

أجل، أتذكر الآن؛أجل، أذكر جيدا ً

Copyright 2008 Dr. Nabeel Issa

Dr. Nabeel Issa of Latakia’s translations include such works as Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible; W. Grudem’s Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine; Maimonides’ The Commandments; Dr. W. Wasserman’s The Law of Moses according to Maimonides and the Mishnah; Dr. R. Farah’s The Integration of Spiritual Values and Education; K. Arthur’s The Call to Follow Jesus; Dr. M. Al-Dick’s The Descent of Isa to Earth; Prof. Dr. Werner Gitt’s Stars and Their Purposes: Signs in Space; B. Samaha’s The Doctrine of Convergence; Dr. W. Wasserman’s Predestination, and L. Sabato’s Spanish Dances.

May 4, 2008

Comments:

Maha's comment:

"Dear Richard,
I have read with great interest your work of art about Fairouz. I smelled the cedar of Lebanon and I heard the echoes of Gibran's voice. I felt as if I were reading a verse from the Revelation,
"…and there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars… etc."
A beautiful work of art and a beautiful Shakespearean Arabic translation.
Boris Pasternak used to compare the translation of a poem to another language with a rose which has lost its sweet smell.
As a poetess, I can say that Nabeel's translation of your poem has preserved the original scent and spirit of the English text.
Thank you Richard for admitting me into your perfumed garden of poetry. Thank you also for decorating my comments page with your beautiful writings.
Maha". May 2, 2008

Katie’s comment:

“Hello my dear friend.
As I could understand I had feel your beautiful story about Fairouz.
Fairouz for me is one of the most beautiful voices of the world. I adore her.
Thank you for sharing your nice spirit.”

This following poem was inspired by a photograph of an old house taken by Ian St. Ian of Raintree County, Indiana:

I’m inside with the without

I’m inside with the without;
so far is the longing of the ten thousand generations.
Call me hearing no sound becoming,
must be something to do with my antennae being too far to the wayward.
Edgar Cayce knew me so he did, but I knew not him for his mind was always comfortably nether here nor there, but ever away many the time of day be it dreamy night.
Someone come and my door do please open wide; my shutters give to be portal again for the winged buzzies of the fields.
Would that I could be again with feeling the laughter of children and the singing of parents sweet lullaby rocky by babies all the way to sleep dreamland.
Sun be dancing on my roof, clouds be raining agin my walls; oh, that someone would call.
About you we sand in calm or storm holding thy hand.
Yes, in each other’s comforting shadows we be although oft lonely for sweet human company we be.
Wouldn’t we agree?
In agreement we would be.

This following poem was inspired by a photograph of Senator Barack Obama speaking at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana in April 2008. It was also taken by Ian St. Ian:

I as you folks here about am a human being

I as you folks here about am a human being whom Life loves.
We walk in the presence of Life whose greatest gift to us is change.
Together from the beginning of the Universe have we been in each other’s changing company.
There is no one from among us upon this beautiful planet that we call home who is not of this changing.
Admittedly, some may change slower than others ‘n yes, some of us even quicker.
But we are all changing in each other’s company, be we with within or without sacred walls sincerely praying, reflectively listening ‘n compassionately doing.
We are all you see just like me, my friends; yes, human beings forever changing.
Let I who am without fault cast the first words into my own mirror.
Let the village, town or city that is without fault drop the first words upon its own self.
Yes, let the state, country ‘n even continent that is without fault hurl the first words at its own self.
My friends, ‘n. I call you my dear friends; we in the body of change are human first ‘n our designations afterwards.
Should you find in me one of your own; one who is of humankindness in his faithfulness to change, then vote not for me but for your own humanity.
My Lady ‘n I are you ’n you ‘n you in our earthliness.
All we would ask is that when you reflect upon our lives: our love for each other, our family, our community, this blessed country ‘n the entire world of all humankind, including the flora ‘n fauna that you would find in my gracious lady ’n me some gem of your own love ‘n faith for all of these wondrous things.
Be inspired to put that love to the forefront when the call to moral change is suddenly come upon us this fourth day of November.
People, like my lady ‘n me be of peace ‘n joy in ever-changing harmony. Thank you.

This following poem was inspired by a 2007 photograph of Linda Kordich of Nevada, United States of America:

I am a flower of love divine

I am a flower of love divine,
Blooming for thee in the eternity of time.
Scent thee me that my fragrance I may be with giving myself to thee,
Oh, lovely one who hast come in from o’er the wide wide wondrous sea.
Waited ‘n watched with longing for thy coming have I for thee.
Oh! Soft low sweet be thy sunrays upon my petals’ sleep.
Would that I could again be with planting myself in thy heart as I did long long afore.
Oh, thy my fertile heart, why be we now so very far apart?
Calming, calm be my remembrances of having oft swam ‘n swoon with thee in the shimmering waters off the Archipelago of Eden.
See thee I in love to be a dark three-mast schooner of precious nectar sweet.
Evaporating spring showers caressing me to thee ‘n thee to me.

Flower of Love Divine,
Blessed with a true love already we be in our respective abodes by the welcoming sea.
Pain filling, however it may be, best to let our love in our memories alone be.
What say thee; what say thee, Lovely Fragrant Lady?

Yes, yes, I in agreement fully with thee be.
Our love in our memories alone let it be ‘n be of a rare fecundity.

All poems are copyrighted 2008 Richard of Eire