Poem

Mourid Barghouti

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INTERPRETATIONS

A poet sits in a coffee shop, writing.
The old lady
thinks he is writing a letter to his mother,
the young woman
thinks he is writing a letter to his girlfriend,
the child
thinks he is drawing,
the businessman
thinks he is considering a deal,
the tourist
thinks he is writing a postcard,
the employee
thinks he is calculating his debts.
The secret policeman
walks, slowly, towards him.

© Translation: 2009, Radwa Ashour
From: Midnight and Other Poems
Publisher: Arc Publications, Todmorden, Lancashire, 2009

INTERPRETATIES

Een dichter schrijft in een café
een oude vrouw denkt dat hij een brief schrijft aan zijn moeder
het jonge meisje denkt dat hij zijn liefje schrijft
de kleuter denkt dat hij tekent
de koopman denkt dat hij met handel bezig is
de reiziger denkt dat hij een kaart schrijft
de ambtenaar denkt dat hij zijn schulden telt
de geheime agent
loopt langzaam op hem af

© Vertaling: 2009, Kees Nijland en Asad Jaber

From: Midnight and Other Poems
Publisher: Arc Publications, Todmorden, Lancashire

Mourid Barghouti

Mourid Barghouti

(Palestine, 1944)

Mourid Barghouti, born in a village near Ramallah in 1944, can rightly be referred to as a poet in exile. His first exile began when he was studying in Cairo in 1967 and the West Bank was closed to him. In 1976, he was banished from Egypt, and subsequently also from Lebanon and Jordan. In Egypt he left behind his wife, Radwar Ashour, who is well known as a writer and as a translator of poetry, ...

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Poems

Poems of Mourid Barghouti

Without Mercy

Mourid Barghouti

It\'s Also Fine

Mourid Barghouti

INTERPRETATIONS

Mourid Barghouti

OLD AGE

Mourid Barghouti

I Have No Problem

Mourid Barghouti

COUNSEL

Mourid Barghouti

MY GRANDFATHER’S CLOAK

Mourid Barghouti

A NIGHT UNLIKE OTHERS

Mourid Barghouti

The Pillow

Mourid Barghouti

The Three Cypress Trees

Mourid Barghouti

Close

INTERPRETATIONS

A poet sits in a coffee shop, writing.
The old lady
thinks he is writing a letter to his mother,
the young woman
thinks he is writing a letter to his girlfriend,
the child
thinks he is drawing,
the businessman
thinks he is considering a deal,
the tourist
thinks he is writing a postcard,
the employee
thinks he is calculating his debts.
The secret policeman
walks, slowly, towards him.

© 2009, Radwa Ashour
From: Midnight and Other Poems
Publisher: 2009, Arc Publications, Todmorden, Lancashire

INTERPRETATIONS

A poet sits in a coffee shop, writing.
The old lady
thinks he is writing a letter to his mother,
the young woman
thinks he is writing a letter to his girlfriend,
the child
thinks he is drawing,
the businessman
thinks he is considering a deal,
the tourist
thinks he is writing a postcard,
the employee
thinks he is calculating his debts.
The secret policeman
walks, slowly, towards him.

© 2009, Radwa Ashour
From: Midnight and Other Poems
Publisher: 2009, Arc Publications, Todmorden, Lancashire

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