The Eyes of Words (1970)

Translated from Arabic by Ahmed Hassan and Elliott Colla

When the sun drowns
In a sea of clouds,
When a wave of darkness spreads across the world,
When sight dies
In the eye and conscience,
When the road disappears
Between lines and circles,
You—rambler, roamer,
Know-it-all—
No one will guide you
But the eyes of words.

—Composed in Qanatir Prison

Ahmed Fouad Negm (1929–2013) is one of the giants of Egyptian colloquial Arabic poetry. He is most famous for his political poems, especially his satires of the country’s ruling elites. Most audiences know his poetry through the songs of his collaborator, the singer-composer Sheikh Imam. Negm had the distinction of being imprisoned many times by Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak.

Ahmed Hassan is a poet, lawyer, and activist in Cairo, Egypt.

Elliott Colla teaches Arabic at Georgetown University.

FROM Volume 70, Number 2

Issue 70.2, Spring 2021

The Eyes of Words (1970)

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