Ultimate Poems: In English, French, German and Arabic

By Najeh A. Trabilsy

Language is a means of human communication, expressing human feelings and ideas. Poetry is an ultimate form of expression and communication and, perhaps, the closest to perfection. Poetry is music comprising words, rhymed and metred, and rendered by recitation, not by musical instruments. Hence the "music" of Gilgamesh, Imru'il Kais* and Homer precedes, by centuries if not millennia, the music of Beethoven and Mozart, that requires sophisticated instruments to render. Each tune in this "repertoire" conveys deeply-felt content, relating to Truth, Beauty and the Good. I hope that readers will love both the tune and the content, whatever the language.

Testimonials

Alliance Francaise in Paris-France, Goethe Institut in Munich-Germany and Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa have decided to place this "magnificent book" (as they described it) in their libraries and make it available to the Public. Harvard President-Elect expressed her appreciation. His Royal Highness, Prince of Qatar,conveyed his acknowledgement. His Holiness, the Pope, "invoked God's abundant blessings" upon the author. If you want to know how "ultimate" these poems are, you must read them...in one language or another!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: May 9, 2007
• ISBN: 9781490794211

Najeh A. Trabilsy

The author is of the view that no resum whatsoever would either enhance or detract from the intrinsic value of any literary work, including this anthology which, in essence, reflects the ageless values: Truth, Beauty, and the Good, SocratesÕ Trinity. Furthermore, it is of paramount importance to the author that these poems be evaluated Òper seÓ and judged on their own merits, by English, French, German and Arabic readers, regardless of the authorÕs resum. Positive evaluation of a literary work, after all, is contingent upon comprehension of the content, and enjoyment of the form, rhyme and metre, in particular.

Book preview

Copyright 2006, 2010 Najeh A. Trabilsy

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Note for Librarians: A cataloguing record for this book is available from Library and Archives Canada at www.collectionscanada.ca/amicus/index-e.html

ISBN: 978-1-4907-9421-1 (ebook)

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Dedication

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A. M. Trabilsy

(Circa 1935)

To my father, who taught me to tell the truth

La Vérité, l’âpre Vérité ! - Danton

To liberty, embattled everywhere

To freedom of speech, claimed somewhere

To human dignity, respected no where

Acknowledgements

The best thanks of the author are due to Mr. Douglas Rose, Mr. Albert Zarka and Ms. Monika Torrey, for their valuable help and sincere collaboration.

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

I - English

The Hawks and the Eagle

Ode to Nelson Mandela

A Tale of Three Cities

Child of the Third World

Elegy to Elisa

Dialogue with the Prime Minister

The Alhambra Revisited

The Court of Araim

Satanic Urges

A Smile and… A Tear

Semitism

Language and Communication

First Love

My Friend

A Vision

The Portrait With No Name

Your Eyes

Excerpts from the Pages of My Life

Man of Honour

Home is the Sailor

Jenny

The Tall Man with the Guitar

Early Retirement

Rain or Shine

Double Dating

Losing Weight

Hail the Han

II - French

Communication Officieuse

L’annioersaire

III - German

Die Neue Weltordnung

Aktuelle Literatur

IV - Arabic

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Introduction

(BY THE AUTHOR)

Language is a means of human communication, expressing human feelings and ideas. Poetry is an ultimate form of expression and communication and, perhaps, the closest to perfection. Poetry is music comprising words, rhymed and metred, and rendered by recitation, not by musical instruments. Hence the music of Gilgamesh, Homer and Imru’il Kais¹* precedes, by centuries if not millennia, the music of Beethoven and Mozart, that requires sophisticated instruments to render. Each tune in this repertoire conveys deeply-felt content, relating to Truth, Beauty and the Good. I hope that readers will love both the tune and the content, whatever the language.

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I

English

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The Hawks and the Eagle

Dedicated to the Statue of Liberty

The American Eagle, so magnanimous and proud,

Soaring above, and never below a cloud,

Has been cornered by neo-american hawks,

Fanatics, pseudo-intellectuals, masters of hoax!

In the eyes of Lady Liberty, I see running tears,

It’s not only rape, but foreseeable future fears,

Profaned and stained is her lovely tall statue,

Despised and trampled, every American value!

The neo-Tatars are back in Baghdad with nukes,

Gone are the days of knights, chivalry and dukes!

They’ve gone high-tech, but dogs they always keep

To unleash on leashed victims, piled in a heap!

They’re