Forgotten As If You Never Wereتُنْسى , كأنك لم تكن

Mahmoud Darwish

تُنْسى , كأنك لم تكن

تُنسى، كأنَّكَ لم تَكُنْ

تُنْسَى كمصرع طائرٍ

ككنيسةٍ مهجورةٍ تُنْسَى،

كحبّ عابرٍ

وكوردةٍ في الليل …. تُنْسَى

أَنا للطريق…هناك من سَبَقَتْ خُطَاهُ خُطَايَ

مَنْ أَمْلَى رُؤاهُ على رُؤَايَ. هُنَاكَ مَنْ

نَثَرَ الكلام على سجيَّتِه ليدخل في الحكايةِ

أَو يضيءَ لمن سيأتي بعدَهُ

أَثراً غنائياً…وحدسا

تُنْسَى, كأنك لم تكن

شخصاً, ولا نصّاً… وتُنْسَى

أَمشي على هَدْيِ البصيرة، رُبّما

أُعطي الحكايةَ سيرةً شخصيَّةً. فالمفرداتُ

تسُوسُني وأسُوسُها. أنا شكلها

وهي التجلِّي الحُرُّ. لكنْ قيل ما سأقول.

يسبقني غدٌ ماضٍ. أَنا مَلِكُ الصدى.

لا عَرْشَ لي إلاَّ الهوامش. و الطريقُ

هو الطريقةُ. رُبَّما نَسِيَ الأوائلُ وَصْفَ

شيء ما، أُحرِّكُ فيه ذاكرةً وحسّا

تُنسَى، كأنِّكَ لم تكن

خبراً، ولا أَثراً… وتُنْسى

أَنا للطريق… هناك مَنْ تمشي خُطَاهُ

على خُطَايَ, وَمَنْ سيتبعني إلى رؤيايَ.

مَنْ سيقول شعراً في مديح حدائقِ المنفى،

أمامَ البيت، حراً من عبادَةِ أمسِ،

حراً من كناياتي ومن لغتي, فأشهد

أَنني حيُّ

وحُرُّ

حين أُنْسَى!

Forgotten As If You Never Were 

Forgotten, as if you never were.

Like a bird’s violent death

like an abandoned church you’ll be forgotten,

like a passing love

and a rose in the night . . . forgotten

I am for the road . . . There are those whose footsteps preceded mine

those whose vision dictated mine. There are those

who scattered speech on their accord to enter the story

or to illuminate to others who will follow them

a lyrical trace . . . and a speculation

Forgotten, as if you never were

a person, or a text . . . forgotten

I walk guided by insight, I might

give the story a biographical narrative. Vocabulary

governs me and I govern it. I am its shape

and it is the free transfiguration. But what I’d say has already been said.

A passing tomorrow precedes me. I am the king of echo.

My only throne is the margin. And the road

is the way. Perhaps the forefathers forgot to describe

something, I might nudge in it a memory and a sense

Forgotten, as if you never were

news, or a trace . . . forgotten

I am for the road . . . There are those whose footsteps 

walk upon mine, those who will follow me to my vision. 

Those who will recite eulogies to the gardens of exile, 

in front of the house, free of worshipping yesterday,

free of my metonymy and my language, and only then 

will I testify that I’m alive

and free

when I’m forgotten!

Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008) was a Palestinian poet whose eloquent verses captured the essence of the Palestinian struggle for identity and freedom. Born in Al-Birwa, British Mandate Palestine, Darwish experienced displacement during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which profoundly influenced his work. His poetry, characterized by lyrical beauty and profound symbolism, transcends borders, addressing universal themes of exile, loss, love, and resistance. Despite facing censorship and exile, Darwish remained committed to articulating the Palestinian narrative, becoming one of the most prominent voices in modern Arabic literature. Beyond his literary contributions, Darwish was a cultural icon and political activist, advocating for Palestinian rights and promoting peace in the Middle East. His legacy is a symbol of resilience, inspiring solidarity and hope worldwide.