Poems from above the Hill

Ashur Etwebi, Brenda Hillman

Description

Etwebi compactly renders experience in a hauntingly classical way. His work is rooted in the landscapes of his country, and in inventing forms in his literary traditions that will capture his engagement with his place and culture. His poetry is intimate but grand, innovative but traditional, influenced by Modernist poetry . . . yet populist and accessible. His phrasing and syntax are often very unpredictable, risk-taking, experimenting with neologisms, inventing language. In his work, there is often a strongly elegiac note; his irony reminds one of Eliot, his imagistic purity reminds one of Pound. Yet he has an intimate knowledge of his fellow creatures that brings to mind William Carlos Williams. Ashur Etwebi enters the mysterious places of the land and sea through the experiences of the human beings he encounters, never engaging in sentimental homage but putting forward a powerful and delicious reverie and a poetic vision.

Informations

• Publié par: Parlor Press, LLC
• Date de parution: 22 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781602351615
• Langue: English

Extrait

POEMS FROM ABOVE THE HILL

SELECTED POEMS OF ASHUR ETWEBI

TRANSLATED BY BRENDA HILLMAN & DIALLAH HAIDAR

Free Verse Edîtîons

Edîted by Jon Tompson

POEMS FROM ABOVE THE HILL

SELECTED POEMS OF ASHUR ETWEBI

Translated by Brenda Hillman and Diallah Haidar (with the author)

Paror Press Anderson, Sout Caroîna www.parorpress.com

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© 2011 by Paror Press A rîgts reserved. Prînted în te Unîted States o Amerîca S A N: 2 5 4 - 8 8 7 9

 Lîbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Tuwaybî, ‘Asur. [Poems. Engîs. Seectîons]  Poems rom above te î : seected poems o Asur Etwebî / transated by Brenda Hîman and Dîaa Haîdar (wît te autor).  p. cm. -- (Free verse edîtîons)  ïSBN 978-1-60235-160-8 (pbk. : ak. paper) -- ïSBN 978-1- 60235-161-5 (Adobe ebook) ï. Hîman, Brenda. ïï. Haîdar, Dîaa. ïïï. Tîte. PJ7864.T92A2 2011 892.7’16--dc22  2010054545

Cover design by David Blakesley. Cover ïmage: “he Man Comîng rom te East” © 2009 by Syagcî. Used by permîssîon.

Prînted on acîd-ree paper.

Paror Press, LLC îs an îndependent pubîser o scoary and trade tîtes în prînt and mutîmedîa ormats. hîs book îs avaîabe în paper, cot and Adobe eBook ormats rom Paror Press on te Word Wîde Web at ttp://www.parorpress.com or troug onîne and brîck-and-mortar bookstores. For submîssîon înormatîon or to Ind out about Paror Press pubîcatîons, wrîte to Paror Press, 3015 Brackenberry Drîve, Anderson, Sout Caroîna, 29621, or e-maî edîtor@parorpress.com.

Contents

Transator’s Note vii romQsaed A-Sora[Poems o te Terrace] 3 Emotîons 5 Wîte Bîrds în a Back Space 6 FromAsdikaak Maro Min Huna[Your Frîends Passed hîs Way 11 Marco Poo 13 romNar A-Mosika[Musîc Rîver] 17 Ladders 19 Face 20 Sîttîng 21 Wîte 22 Let’s Stop a Wîe 23 A Bîrd 25 FromSundok ADaikat A-Qadima [Box o od augs] 27 Trîpoî Haîku 29 Qsaed Mîn AaaAadabaWaZîa A-Ram [Poems rom Above te Hî] 39 Sand Sadows 98 New Poems 111 Wat Dîrectîon 113 Fear 114 Couds 115 he Rock 116

v

vî

Contents

he Fînger o te Hand 117 A Gîmpse o Fayoum 118 Desîre and Oter hîngs 119 Knowedge 120

Acknowedgments 121 About te Autor 123 Free Verse Edîtîons 125

Translator’s Note

vîî

Tîs project came about quîte by accîdent. ï was servîng as a vîsît- îng acuty member at te ïowa Wrîters’ Worksop în a o 2006 and attended a meetîng at te ïnternatîona Wrîters’ Worksop on a sunny a aternoon. As îs oten te case tere, te room was u o notabe wrîters rom a over te word, many o wom were expressîng înterest în transatîon. Toug ï do not speak Arabîc, ï ad worked wît Saadî Sîmawe, an ïraqî-Amerîcan pro- essor at Grînne Coege, to render some versîons o ïraqî poetry înto Engîs, and ï mentîoned tîs at te meetîng. Aterwards, an entusîastîc eow bounded over to me and asked î ï woud work wît îm on îs poetry. He was, e saîd, Dr. Asur Etwebî rom Lîbya, a pysîcîan-poet wo was spendîng a ew monts at te ïnternatîona Wrîters’ Worksop. ï însîsted to te genteman tat ï speak not a word o Arabîc and e saîd we must not et tat deter us. Durîng te next two monts, we met requenty at Java House, one o ïowa Cîty’s most agreeabe ocaes, to work on îs poetry. ït turned out tat îs Engîs îs exceent — e ad spent our years în London— and e brougt me transîteratîons o a ong poetîc sequence e ad wrîtten and pubîsed în Lîbya some years beore, work tat we ended up caîng “Poems rom Above te Hî.”ï was entîrey dependent on Asur’s transîteratîons, o course, but we went orward because we enjoyed te process. Asur îs a courteous and wîtty man, and e approaced te dauntîng task wît good ceer. As we worked on our versîons, Asur noted tat e was re-castîng te orîgînas at tîmes wen we coud not înd an approprîate transatîon. Tîs eped us reax about te project, especîay about strîvîng or îdeîty to a sîn- ge orîgîna text. Beore e returned to Lîbya, we ad produced poems tat sounded good to bot o us, and tat— despîte sîg- nîîcant varîatîons between te Arabîc orîgînas and te Engîs

vîîî

Transator’s Note

transatîons—and tey seemed to satîsy Asur’s sense o te o te orîgînas. Over te next ew years we kept în touc, pubîsîng te se- quence înFree Verse.Bob Hass, Forrest Gander, CD Wrîgt and ï made a trîp to Lîbya, were Asur was our ost or one o te most ascînatîng weeks o our îves—tat îs a story or anoter tîme.Soon ater our trîp, Jon Tompson, wo îs bot an edîtor oFree Verseand an edîtor at Paror Press, asked to see a arger coectîon o Asur’s work and we set about tryîng to îgure out ow tîs coud be done. ïn te meantîme, one o Bob’s students, Dîaa Haîdar, a Lebanese-Amerîcan woman wo îs uent în bot Arabîc and Engîs, ad aen în ove wît Asur’s poetry and ad done some wonderu transatîons, so ï enîsted er ep wît te proj- ect. Workîng wît Dîaa as been a peasure, and te project coud not ave gone more smooty. ï am aso grateu or te or- ganîzîng skîs o Jîîan Kurvers, wo as been very epu wît preparatîon o te manuscrîpt. ï wî probaby never know Asur’s poetry în te orîgîna. ï am tremendousy moved by îs work, by te way e compacty renders experîence în a auntîngy cassîca way. Asur’s work îs rooted în te andscapes o îs country, and în înventîng orms în îs îterary tradîtîons tat wî capture îs engagement wît îs pace and cuture. Hîs poetry îs întîmate but grand, înnovatîve but tradîtîona, înuenced by Modernîst poetry, wîc e seems to ave read wîe e was studyîng în Engand, yet popuîst and accessîbe, at east în te versîons e and Dîaa ave presented to me. Dîa- a as tod me repeatedy tat te prasîng and syntax are oten very unpredîctabe, rîsk-takîng, experîmentîng wît neoogîsms, înventîng anguage— so e woud be consîdered an experîmen- ta or înnovatîve poet. ïn îs work, tere îs oten a strongy ee- gîac note; îs îrony tat remînds one o Eîot, îs îmagîstîc purîty tat remînds one o Pound. Yet e as an întîmate knowedge o îs eow creatures tat brîngs to mînd W. C.Wîîams. ï am remînded o severa oter poets as we: o George Oppen, and

Transator’s Note

îx

o C. P. Cavay. Asur Etwebî enters te mysterîous paces o te and and sea troug te experîences o te uman beîngs e encounters, never engagîng în sentîmenta omage but put- tîng orward a poweru and deîcîous reverîe and a poetîc vîsîon. However partîa tese versîons are, ît îs to be oped tey wî ren- der some sense o te orîgînas.

—Brenda Himan