2/24/2021 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly JANUARY 18, 2018JANUARY 16, 2018 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ Decades after the death of Syrian poet Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein, his words remain alive among readers: By Ibtihal Mahmood Thirty-five years after his death, at the age of 28, Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein’s poems remain bold, invincible, and “simple like water, clear like a bullet” — with a breathtaking prophetic trait immersed in blue. A boyhood in Der’a; an early poetic talent interrupted by kidney failure; a loss of hearing at the age of 13 caused by a medical error; end of formal schooling; a trip to Bulgaria to alleviate the effects of the butchered medical procedure; relocation to Aleppo – then to Damascus; love; death; and burial in Mare’, Aleppo. Out of these elements, three collections of poetry sprang forth in his brief lifetime (Failure of Circulation, 1979; Daily Legends, 1980; Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet, 1982). The la er was published only five months prior to his death. Al-Hussein’s short life and unexpected departure, his reticence, and his choice of a semi-secluded lifestyle all left a lot of room for speculation, especially regarding the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. In one narrative found in an introduction to the complete collection of his poems (Almutawassit Books, 2016), Syrian poet and artist Munther al-Masri, a good friend of Riyad’s, alludes to the possibility of a death induced by heartbreak. After growing concerns about his absence, al-Masri says, two of Riyad’s friends — Iraqi poets Mahdi Muhammad Ali and Hashem Shafiq — found him on the verge of death in his own room, curled up in his bed, shivering, hallucinating, and begging for a sip of water. They rushed him to al-Muwasat Hospital in Damascus, where he passed away in the afternoon of November 20, 1982. His fourth collection of poetry, A Bull in a Jungle, was published one year later. The collection ends with a poem titled “Habit,” with a final line that reads, “I have grown accustomed to awaiting you, O Revolution.” What a strange coincidence, as al-Masri puts it, that Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein bid the world adieu with a “Revolution.” Twenty-nine years later, a Syrian Revolution reenthroned al-Hussein as an icon of the new wave of poetry, taking his poem “Syria” as its anthem: O cruel Syria https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/ 1/9 2/24/2021 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly like a scalpel in a surgeon’s hand we are your good children we had your bread, your olives, your scourges # A Small Revolution translated by Ibtihal Mahmood Soon I will start a small revolution in this black room I will tear up books, sorrows, old photographs and replace the furnace with a chair. Soon… Soon I will think of flowers, wasps in the forest, and of horses shivering behind bars. Soon I will start a small revolution lay my head on the pillow close my eyes to a savage dream reach out to my heart and sing to Rosa Luxemburg. ‫ثورة ﺻﻐﯿﺮة‬ ‫بﻋﺪ ﻗﻠﯿﻞ‬ ‫سأﻗﻮم ﺑﺜﻮرة ﺻﻐﯿﺮة‬ ‫في ھﺬه اﻟﻐﺮﻓﺔ اﻟﺴﻮداء‬ https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/ 2/9 2/24/2021 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly ِّ ‫أﻣﺰق اﻟﻜﺘﺐ واﻷﺣﺰان واﻟﺼﻮر اﻟﻘﺪﯾﻤﺔ‬ ‫وأﺿﻊ اﻟﻜﺮﺳﻲ ﻣﻜﺎن اﻟﻤﺪﻓﺄة‬ ‫بﻋﺪ ﻗﻠﯿﻞ… ﺑﻌﺪ ﻗﻠﯿﻞ‬ ‫سأﻓ ِ ّﻜﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﺰھﻮر وﯾﻌﺎﺳﯿﺐ اﻟﻐﺎﺑﺎت‬ ‫واﻟﺨﯿﻮل اﻟﻤﺮﺗﻌﺸﺔ ﺧﻠﻒ اﻟﻘﻀﺒﺎن‬ ‫بﻋﺪ ﻗﻠﯿﻞ‬ ‫سأﻗﻮم ﺑﺜﻮرة ﺻﻐﯿﺮة‬ ‫أﺿﻊ رأﺳﻲ ﻓﻮق اﻟﻮﺳﺎدة‬ ‫ﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺣﻠﻢ ﻣﺘﻮ ِ ّﺣﺶ‬ ‫أﻏﻤﺾ ﻋﯿﻨ ﱠ‬ ‫أﻣﺪّ ﯾﺪي إﻟﻰ ﻗﻠﺒﻲ‬ ‫وأﻏ ِﻨّﻲ ﻟﺮوزا ﻟﻮﻛﺴﻤﺒﻮرغ‬. Silence translated by Ibtihal Mahmood In the evening, the men arrived, spent, from the pasture in the evening, the women arrived, spent, from the fields the men’s hearts about to fall the women’s eyes about to cry in the evening, they came and danced until the morn. The wound became a song and fatigue, a flute. But one man kept his seat in the far corner the gun in his hands like a snake life, in his eyes, a time of clay… The man watching silently https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/ 3/9 ‫‪Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly‬‬ ‫‪2/24/2021‬‬ ‫‪not watching television‬‬ ‫‪not dreaming‬‬ ‫‪not sleeping‬‬ ‫…‪that cur‬‬ ‫?‪What is he thinking about‬‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻤﺖ‬ ‫مﺳﺎ ًء ﺟﺎء اﻟﺮﺟﺎل ﻣﺘﻌﺒﯿﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺮﻋﻰ‬ ‫مﺳﺎ ًء ﺟﺎءت اﻟﻨﺴﺎء ﻣﺘﻌﺒﺎت ﻣﻦ اﻟﺤﻘﻮل‬ ‫لﻟﺮﺟﺎل ﻗﻠﻮب ﻣﻮﺷﻜﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺴﻘﻮط‬ ‫وﻟﻠﻨﺴﺎء ﻋﯿﻮن ﻣﻮﺷﻜﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺒﻜﺎء‬ ‫في اﻟﻤﺴﺎء ﺟﺎؤوا ورﻗﺼﻮا ﺣﺘﻰ اﻟﺼﺒﺎح‬ ‫اﻟﺠﺮح ﺻﺎر أﻏﻨﯿﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺰﻣﺎرا‬ ‫واﻟﺘﻌﺐ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫غﯾﺮ أن رﺟﻼ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﺴﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺰاوﯾﺔ اﻟﺒﻌﯿﺪة‬ ‫ظ ﱠل ﺟﺎﻟ ً‬ ‫اﻟﺒﻨﺪﻗﯿﱠﺔ ﺑﯿﻦ ﯾﺪﯾﮫ ﻛﺄﻓﻌﻰ‬ ‫…واﻟﺤﯿﺎة ﻓﻲ ﻋﯿﻨﯿﮫ زﻣﻦ ﻣﻦ ﻓ ﱠﺨﺎر‬ ‫اﻟﺮﺟﻞ اﻟﺬي ﯾﻨﻈﺮ ﺑﺼﻤﺖ‬ ‫لا ﯾﺒﺪو أﻧﱠﮫُ ﯾﺸﺎھﺪ اﻟﺘﻠﻔﺰﯾﻮن‬ ‫وﻻ ﯾﺒﺪو أﻧﱠﮫُ ﯾﺤﻠﻢ‬ ‫وﻻ ﯾﺒﺪو ﻧﺎﺋ ًﻤﺎ‬ ‫…اﻟﻠﺌﯿﻢ‬ ‫ما اﻟﺬي ﯾﻔ ِ ّﻜﺮ ﻓﯿﮫ؟‬ ‫‪The Sleeping Boy‬‬ ‫‪translated by Ibtihal Mahmood‬‬ ‫‪4/9‬‬ ‫‪https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/‬‬ 2/24/2021 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly Before he went to war, he marched toward the bed closed his eyes and slept… He saw in a boyish dream a spacious plain with galloping deer a flock of birds peach trees moonlike flowers He saw a very spacious day and deep into the day, a man came walking threw a bloody shirt at the child the plain vanished, the deer perished, the trees followed the day disappeared… The handsome boy said: that’s okay. He closed his eyes with his own eyes and slept saw twenty angels perched near him proposed: let us eat oranges let us play cat and mouse I will hide on top of my bed now find me, dear cat/angel… …. And from the farthest sky a bomb dropped over the handsome boy’s bed the angel flew the cat meowed, seeing the child’s finger sinking in the dirt the handsome boy said: https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/ 5/9 2/24/2021 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly That’s okay, that’s okay Exhausted, he went back to bed closed his eyes with his own eyes and slept… Saw in a dream fish on the walls a wolf swimming in a pool a crocodile returning to the nightclub and a woman waiting for God before the Palace of Justice. The handsome boy cried: I don’t want to see anything I want my mother, my bo le, my blanket. The handsome boy said something not that pleasing yet not distasteful: “long live the duck long live the river long live the cat long live the trees long live my sister, my brother and down with the tank” … … … He closed his eyes with his own eyes and slept, once and for all https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/ 6/9 ‫‪Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly‬‬ ‫‪2/24/2021‬‬ ‫اﻟﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﻨﺎﺋﻢ‬ ‫ﯾﺬھﺐ ﻟﻠﺤﺮب ﻣﻀﻰ ﻧﺤﻮ اﻟﺴﺮﯾﺮ‬ ‫قﺑﻞ أن‬ ‫َ‬ ‫‪..‬أﻏﻠﻖ ﻋﯿﻨﯿﮫ وﻧﺎم‬ ‫رأى ﻓﯿﻤﺎ ﯾﺮى اﻷوﻻد‬ ‫سھﻼً ﻓﺴﯿ ًﺤﺎ ﺗﺮﻛﺾ اﻟﻐﺰﻻن ﻓﯿﮫ‬ ‫سرﺑًﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺼﺎﻓﯿﺮ‬ ‫وأﺷﺠﺎرا ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪراق‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أﻗﻤﺎر‬ ‫أزھﺎرا ﻟﮭﺎ ھﯿﺌﺔ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ﻧﮭﺎرا واﺳﻌًﺎ ﺟﺪًا‬ ‫رأى ً‬ ‫وﻣﻦ أﻗﺼﻰ اﻟﻨﮭﺎر ﺟﺎء رﺟﻞ ﯾﺴﻌﻰ‬ ‫دم‬ ‫ﺼﺎ ﻣﻦ ٍ‬ ‫أﻟﻘﻰ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻄﻔﻞ ﻗﻤﯿ ً‬ ‫فاﺧﺘﻔﻰ اﻟﺴﮭﻞ وﻣﺎﺗﺖ اﻟﻐﺰﻻن‬ ‫واﻷﺷﺠﺎر‬ ‫‪..‬اﺧﺘﻔﻰ اﻟﻨﮭﺎر‬ ‫قال اﻟﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺠﻤﯿﻞ‪ :‬ﻻ ﺑﺄس‬ ‫أﻏﻤﺾ ﻋﯿﻨﯿﮫ ﺑﻌﯿﻨﯿﮫ‬ ‫وﻧﺎم‬ ‫رأى ﻋﺸﺮﯾﻦ ﻣﻼ ًﻛﺎ ﯾﮭﺒﻄﻮن ﻗﺮﺑﮫ‬ ‫سأﻟﮭﻢ‪ :‬ھﻞ ﺗﺄﻛﻠﻮن اﻟﺒﺮﺗﻘﺎل‬ ‫اﻟﮭﺮة واﻟﻔﺄر‬ ‫هل ﻧﺴﺘﻄﯿﻊ أن ﻧﻠﻌﺐ ﻟﻌﺒﺔ ّ‬ ‫أﺧﺘﺒﺊ اﻵن ﻓﻮق ﺳﺮﯾﺮي‬ ‫اﻟﮭﺮة‪/‬اﻟﻤﻼك‬ ‫‪..‬جدﯾﻨﻲ أﯾﺘﮭﺎ ّ‬ ‫‪….‬‬ ‫وﻣﻦ أﻗﺼﻰ اﻟﺴﻤﺎء‬ ‫جاءت اﻟﻘﻨﺒﻠﺔ ﻓﻮق ﺳﺮﯾﺮ اﻟﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺠﻤﯿﻞ‬ ‫طار اﻟﻤﻼك‬ ‫وﻣﺎءت اﻟﮭﺮة ﺣﯿﻨﻤﺎ رأت إﺻﺒﻊ طﻔﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺮاب‬ ‫‪7/9‬‬ ‫‪https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/‬‬ ‫‪Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly‬‬ ‫‪2/24/2021‬‬ ‫‪:‬قال اﻟﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺠﻤﯿﻞ‬ ‫لا ﺑﺄس‪ ،‬ﻻ ﺑﺄس‬ ‫عاد إﻟﻰ اﻟﺴﺮﯾﺮ ﻣﺘﻌﺒًﺎ‬ ‫أﻏﻤﺾ ﻋﯿﻨﯿﮫ ﺑﻌﯿﻨﯿﮫ‬ ‫‪..‬وﻧﺎم‬ ‫رأى ﻓﯿﻤﺎ ﯾﺮى اﻟﺤﺎﻟﻢ‬ ‫أﺳﻤﺎ ًﻛﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺠﺪران‬ ‫ذﺋﺒًﺎ ﯾﺴﺒﺢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺮﻛﺔ‬ ‫تﻣﺴﺎ ًﺣﺎ ﯾﻌﻮد ﻟﻠﻤﻠﮭﻰ‬ ‫واﻣﺮأة ﺗﻨﺘﻈﺮ اﻟﺮبّ أﻣﺎم ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻌﺪل‬ ‫‪:‬صاح اﻟﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺠﻤﯿﻞ‬ ‫لا أرﯾﺪ أن أرى ﺷﯿﺌًﺎ‬ ‫أرﯾﺪ أﻣﻲ وزﺟﺎﺟﺔ اﻟﺤﻠﯿﺐ واﻟﻘﻤﺎط‬ ‫قال اﻟﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺠﻤﯿﻞ ﺷﯿﺌًﺎ‬ ‫لﯾﺲ ﺣﺴﻨًﺎ ﺟﺪًا‬ ‫‪:‬وﻟﯿﺲ ﺳﯿﺌًﺎ ﺟﺪًا‬ ‫عاش اﻟﺒﻂ“‬ ‫عاش اﻟﻨﮭﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﮭﺮة‬ ‫عاﺷﺖ ّ‬ ‫عاﺷﺖ اﻷﺷﺠﺎر‬ ‫عاﺷﺖ أﺧﺘﻲ وأﺧﻲ‬ ‫”‪..‬وﻟﺘﺴﻘﻂ اﻟﺪﺑﺎﺑﺔ‬ ‫…‬ ‫…‬ ‫أﻏﻠﻖ ﻋﯿﻨﯿﮫ ﺑﻌﯿﻨﯿﮫ‬ ‫وﻧﺎم أﺑﺪًا‬ ‫‪Ibtihal Mahmood is a Jordanian-American writer and translator based in Sea le, Washington.‬‬ ‫‪8/9‬‬ ‫‪https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/‬‬ 2/24/2021 Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’ – ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly One thought on “Three Poems by Riyad al-Saleh alHussein: ‘Simple Like Water, Clear Like a Bullet’” 1. elenaruiz2 says: JANUARY 18, 2018 AT 8:57 AM Nice piece of writing. Poetry. Comments are closed. BLOG AT WORDPRESS.COM. https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/ 9/9