Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Hard imagery and sharp language

A Window into Contemporary Omani Literature
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I’ve already introduced the pioneering contemporary Omani poet Saif al Rahbi in an article published on Tuesday (July 13), in these columns. I stressed the idea that Al Rahbi elevates the common and glorifies every day. The manner with which he paints brief flashes and provides little commentary is arguably reminiscent of imagism, the Anglo-American twentieth century poetic school championing hardness of imagery and sharpness of diction. A manifestation of this can be seen in the following excerpts and poems taken from his collection titled A Man from the Empty Quarter published in Beirut in 1994.


Excerpts


(1) Adam's children and (before them) Satan


Both were born of fault's storm.


(2) Today


I heard no news


News of myself.


(3) I'm not optimistic


I’m not pessimistic


I just feel pain in my teeth


Unbearable pain.


(4) A man with eyesight


Leads his flock


To the maze.


(5) Like rabbits


Enemies jump


Like rabbits


They eavesdrop.


(6) Ah


The pain flairs up


Before the fountain.


(7) The sea blocks the whales with its voracity


No longer can they move


For other generations.


(8) A plane flies in desolate space


Man floats in the light of his earthly cage


Strewing his dreams between planets.


Meanwhile a Bedouin whips his donkey on a mound.


(9) We'll arrange our enemies' ideas


As required.


(10) The mourning women will trill tomorrow


At the killer's wedding


Just for pennies.


(11) We feel guilty for faults


We didn't commit.


(12) The woman trotting before us


With a flower and saliva


Carried her death for a century.


(13) Scientists say that the sun possesses enough hydrogen to shine for another ten billion years...


How many billions does man need


To wash off the mud of his history?


(14) The young lady artist in the Parisian café


On hearing about the carnage in her country


And the wild dogs


Said repeatedly


With a show of delicacy:


"O haraam, O haraam" .


(15) Nothing remains on its feet


Save an injured ibex


In a jungle on fire.


(16) Pay heed to the wolf's advice


Before it's too late.


Indians in the Dawn's Light


This moment rolled upon itself


Like ruins of a decayed body


As usual


I can't glance at the morning's face


(It has lagged behind.)


Before the window


Out flow Indians


Carrying Buddha's coffin


Washed in the Ganga


Waiting like me


For another day


But with peace and a sacred death.


Indians


Strangers, without shadows or faces


The pain of search for bread and song.


They'll soon rest from the funeral


In the neighbouring tavern


Where a dancer wriggles, feeding her bosom


With an imaginary lover


They dream till the end.


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