Merry Christmas, unlucky souls who stumbled upon these dark alleys ⛄

أَقولُ وَقَد ناحَت بِقُربي حَمامَةٌ أَيا جارَتا هَل تَشعُرينَ بِحالي مَعاذَ الهَوى ماذُقتِ طارِقَةَ النَوى وَلا خَطَرَت مِنكِ الهُمومُ بِبالِ أَتَحمِلُ مَحزونَ الفُؤادِ قَوادِمٌ عَلى غُصُنٍ نائي المَسافَةِ عالِ أَيا جارَتا ما أَنصَفَ الدَهرُ بَينَنا تَعالِي…

أَقولُ وَقَد ناحَت بِقُربي حَمامَةٌ
أَيا جارَتا هَل تَشعُرينَ بِحالي
مَعاذَ الهَوى ماذُقتِ طارِقَةَ النَوى
وَلا خَطَرَت مِنكِ الهُمومُ بِبالِ
أَتَحمِلُ مَحزونَ الفُؤادِ قَوادِمٌ
عَلى غُصُنٍ نائي المَسافَةِ عالِ
أَيا جارَتا ما أَنصَفَ الدَهرُ بَينَنا
تَعالِي أُقاسِمكِ الهُمومَ تَعالِي
تَعالَي تَرَي روحاً لَدَيَّ ضَعيفَةً
تَرَدَّدُ في جِسمٍ يُعَذِّبُ بالِ
أَيَضحَكُ مَأسورٌ وَتَبكي طَليقَةٌ
وَيَسكُتُ مَحزونٌ وَيَندِبُ سالِ
لَقَد كُنتُ أَولى مِنكِ بِالدَمعِ مُقلَةً
وَلَكِنَّ دَمعي في الحَوادِثِ غالِ

[ When this poem was written, the poet, Abu Firas, was imprisoned in Constantinople by the Byzantines. He saw a dove near his prison window, and with his imaginative mind, he believed the dove was mourning for his captivity. ]

A tearful dove standing close, beside me it cried,
Oh, neighbor mine, can you sense what I can't hide?
I've tasted the ache of love, deeper than you comprehend,
My burdens outweigh your woes, stretching without end.
How come a bird like you, can understand my woes,
Standing on that high branch, where freedom flows?
Oh, dear neighbor mine, time has shown no mercy,
Join me, share my trials, together let's bear, come,
Come witness my fragile soul laid here for you,
See the weakness in my entirety, my mind's misery,
Why would a captive smile, and the free heart grieve?
And sorrow is voiceless, while freedom holds fear?
I should be the one that weeps for my own despair,
But in tragedies, my tears become rare.

أبو فراس الحمداني
Words Unfolded.

Kibong Rhee
Black Shadow - The Void , 2022

Protect your Right to Hate or else They will take away all that You Love ....