Neoclassical Arab poetry\ Al-Barudi\ translated poems

The Egyptian poet

Mahmud Sami al- Barudi

1839- 1904

Why is al-Barudi considered as the pioneer of the renaissance of modern Arabic

Poetry?

This research contains:

A- Introduction

B- Analyses

C- Biography

D- Sample of six chosen poems have been translated by me

A- Introduction:

Renewal in poetry is not by any means does mean neglecting the classic poetry
or debasing its values but it is either rephrasing or polishing the classic poetry so
that it would be a shiny picture however to keeps pace with the modern era.

The renaissance in modern Arabic poetry began at the beginning of the ninetieth
century, the era of knowledge movement, the time of new discoveries and
innovations, the era when the Arabic man for the first time asked for liberation in
thoughts as well as to escort closely to the development in sciences and
technology of the world. In one word, it did begin at the end stage of the Ottoman
Empire's ascendancy on Arab region.
The eco factor, no doubt has seriously impacts on the poet and for instance, the
nomadic person does not versify poetry as the civilian one versifies, and likewise
the farmer perhaps his poetry slightly differs from the poetry of the universal
student.

No doubt, the farmer will talk about the tools of the tillage or about the crops, and
the student perhaps talks about the pen and his girl friend, and it maybe the
farmer knows for example the different names of the natural herbs that the
student is hardly acquainted with.

Far away from the above examples, of course Arabs before the ninetieth or the
eighteenth century do not see or have been acquainted with the new technology
and manufactures such as car, train, computer and airplane.

Before the Islamic initial era and after Islamic era the Abbasids dynasty and the
Umayyad dynasty, Arabs have simple life, living in desert and most of them are
nomadic people, thus most of their poetry talking about their simple live; the
desert, the sword, the camel and so on.

Therefore, if we have to do a comparison between the classic and the

contemporary poetry, we must mainly take in our consideration the surrounding
environment, which it closely and directly affects on poetic language. For
instance, the poet who lived at ancient periods would elaborately describe his
camel, his desert, his sword and the wild animal he chased; this hardly can be
noticeable in the contemporary poetry.

In addition, as Arab tradition of honour, wisdom, superiority, the poet might not
rebel about his normal tradition so we notably can touch these individualities
through his poems, such as the honour, the honesty, the courage, guarding of a
refugee, honoring and offering a good hospitality for the guests and so on.

Poets of pre Islam or the "pagan era" for example normally have been influenced
to start their poems by stopping near the ruins of their beloved, however to
express their emotions honestly and on loyalty perhaps to allow the senses and
images rolling over the poem giving the poet a secret power of extent.
This traditional property of preceding the poem by two verses or more focusing
on beloved ruins as well as crying and stopping near, is now out of the tradition of
contemporary poets.

B- Analysis on al- Barudi poetry:

Although many researches and critics discussed lengthily this matter but I want to
shorten it in a few details.

1- To revive poetry this by no means does mean neglecting or canceling the roles
and the origins of the classic poetry but otherwise transfer or rebirth the classic
poetry to go a long with the modern era.

Al-Barudi for example used the word train instead of camel as the camel was
considered the only device of traveling at the old time.

2- Al- Barudi as usually is referred to -The master of sword &pen- successfully

managed in what we often called (The poetic diction) which it is parallel to Philip
Sidney's hexameter.

3- We notice a special successful tendency in his poetry in that he harmonized

between the archaic expressions and the language of his era and for instance,
the pigeon is the child of the grove, the seabird is the daughter of the water, and
the rooster is the crested bird and so on.

4- Al- Barudi mainly borrowed many figurative of speech from the well -known
classical poems belonged to the Abbasid era or the Umayyad era, in addition, he
was enough successful in rephrasing the old poetry to be in a new dress and this
compatibility between the old and the new is accounted to him.

C- Biography

He is the major general al- Barudi, the poet who is descended from an old
Circassian family of influence lived at Damanhur and was responsible to impose
and collect tributes from people who inhabited there.
Al-Barudi grew up among a family of wealth and of a society position whereas his
father also was a major general in the Egyptian military, took charge of as a
governor of Barber and Dancalah cities in Sudan, and died there when his son
Mahmud was in his seventh years old.

Al-Barudi was one of Ahmad Urabi's revolutionary chefs so was chosen to be a

Minster of Defense then to be a Prime Minster according to the revolutionists
wishes.

His study:

Al-Barudi got his first education into learning, reading and writing, memorizing the
Holy Quran, learning the principles of Arabic grammar, learning some of Sharia
rules, history and arithmetic until he completed his primary school at 1851 then
the secondary then he entered the military academy when he was at a twelve
years age.

He was graduated from the academy at 1855 as a chef sergeant and served
directly in the Sultanic military.

His soul was yearning to the poetry from the earlier period of his education.

His practical life:

After a period of graduation as a low officer, the government appointed him at the
Foreign Ministry and in 1858 he traveled for Istanbul and there he was
acquainted with the Turkish and the Persian languages, moreover, he learned
some of the world literature.

His familiarity with languages helped him to charge of the responsibility of the
secretary of the Foreign Affairs of his country at Turkey and he remained there
until 1863.

When al- Khedive Ismail ascended the viceroy's throng of Ottoman Empire in
Egypt, he assigned al-Barudi into his retinues.
Al-Barudi felt that his new duty in the divan of government was an annoying job
and when he felt that his soul still long for the military so he did many attempts
and lastly was succeeded to return for military at 1863.

Al-Barudi took charge of the leadership of tow al- Khedive guardianship

detachments and proved a high qualification during the military campaign, which
was sent to help the Ottoman army, into subdual the turmoil that broke out at
Crete Island in 1865.

In the midst of the fierce war there, some of verses slipped out of his tongue
describing the battles he fought in, a poem, which is considered one of the poet's
wonderful still forever poems, which its opening is:

A slumber took over eyelids' margins

Marching at night gave vent to the horses' reins

Night would spread its wings boastfully

Over the small hills and mountainy ground

Eye cannot distinguish but to see only

A glimmering of fire rising up and down

Al-Barudi transferred from one job to another into the al-Khedive's government
then he returned for military, and when the war between the Ottoman Empire and
Russia broke out, the Egypt government sent him as one of the leaders of its
campaign.

After al-Barudi showed his bravery in the mentioned battles, he was blessing with
a sublime badge of honour and the rank of major general.

Al-Barudi was one of the champions of the successful- revolution against al-
Khedive Tawfiq that held by Ahmad Urabi and here at this occasion he held over
the charge of Prime -Minster until May 1882 when he was excelled with the other
revolutionists to Colombo city in Serendib Island- (Sri Lanka), and he stayed
banished there until 1899.

In his exile place, he said many homesick poems describing his pain, his misery,
his indescribable yearning and torture to his family and to his country, moreover
his wife was died still he was imprisoned, and he met the edge of torture when
his health became worst after his sixty years old.

When he was delivered out of exiling place, his glamorous delight was incredible
and he chanted the "Chant of Return".

Is it Babylon or Egypt that I have seen?

I see eyes replaced the "charm" had been.

D- Translating of the significant al-Barudi poems:

MMA- the Iraqi translator

Many of Al-Barudi poems concretely tell us about his misery condition and his
homesick to his country after he was exiled to Serendib, and his condition
became worst especially when the news came informing him the death of his wife
and his larger son Ali, while he was still at his exile place.

Poem 1:

He said this poem when he was still imprisoned in Serendib describing his
unendurable pain as he was in a cut off relation with any friend or family, it
explains his dark view of a complainant, briefly to say, that he was jailed between
four closed walls.

Worn out by passion, yet I am afflicting with sleepless

I have been wrapped by threads made of distress

My night would never rout

Nor the daybreak comes out

No sociable friend I find hearing my complaint

No news comes or a vision so I am being derelict

Between walls and closed door, I got racks

A door, whenever the jailer moves, it cracks

A jailer walks behind cautious to hear

At any slight movement he comes near

When I intended any purpose to be done,

Dark would say, Stop! Dont turn

A thing I looked for inevitably I want

Nothing I did find, nor did my soul rest

A dark hardly it has glimmering stars

But it has breathing of throwing sparks

O, soul, be patient until you secure your case

Tolerance, no doubt, is the key of success

Our life is just a bit of breaths no more will wait.

A man wherever he goes is the captive of his fate.

********

The Arabic origin of translated poem 1

) * (

Poem 2

This poem also has been said at a prison disclosing the homesickness and the
deep passionate soul of the poet when he got tortured suffering from an
unhealthy condition.

It reveals the complaining of his exiling sufferance.

?Is not there any physician to heal the passion malady

!For a sick man still has a deep sorrow living sleeplessly

!Yet the yearning bestowed him in one breath to be survived

Alas, the separation extends over until his last breath is faded.
A deep pining sorrow eats me from down

Woe! I was eaten by grief and homesickness in this town.

I bear patiently even if my soul is so far pitiful

Tolerance tires this soul out even if in love is tolerable

No intimate friend in Serendib I have to seek shelter

No sociable thing I have but to give in deep sorrow

********

The Arabic origin of translated poem 2

""

*******

Poem 3:

This is in erotic poetry, in some verses of this poem, he imitated the ancient
traditional poetry and as I think, he borrowed the dialectic soul of some verses of
a certain old poem.

You, who overstepped the bounds of blame, take it easy.

You are not kind than I am to my liver malady

Please, leave me out of your blame, if you are enough witty

Within love, blame is considered as a part of a jealousy

Besides love has dreadful pain, perhaps I tend to be satisfied.

But I dont satisfy in what speech bouncing from side to side.

If anybody has sharp-mind that leads him for right,

He will not blame others and will keep on delight.

Avoid the passion out of my heart if you had a power

My gratitude then is for you forever and ever.

If not, do not reproach me and let me going as I shun

I can never control on myself as well as on my passion.

The girl whom I in love with, her love veiled my sight

As my soul has been covered with a thick veil of night

To earn her favour I got enmity with all my relatives equally.

They turned foes after they were to me close cordial family.

They said he fell in love with another one to avoid his painful hurt

The saddest pain will never come out the affectionate heart

I said, it is impossible to love other than her.

Allah doesnt create tow hearts in one body.

******

The Arabic origin of translated poem 3

Poem 4:
This poem also was said at his exile place explaining the misery and the
sufferance of poet's soul. It dose disclose his visionary profound soul which
almost is yearning to catch a ray of hope.

******

A faint sound took away the sleep from my eyes.

As it was embodied in a vision visiting me at dawn

I asked my eyes to know what my ears hared!

It replied, perhaps I can interpret the mystery code!

Then it perks up while ascending a rod to be an alert bird!

A rod did magically captivate sight and hearing once more.

Once it was perching over a bough,

Lively it shook up flutteringly its wings

As a flickering heart did remember optimist news

Never will it be settled, awake! Day and night

Once its breath calms, it turns upset again

The bough rocking it up and down, as it wants.

As a kicking ball, the rod casts it away

What curses him while he is sound living at peace!

To turn one's eye unless he is fearful and wary!

When it went up it slept at a smoothed green place

And once went down, it watered or picked up a grain

O, bird, indeed, you scared the vision of a pretty girl

A hopeful vision bestowed me good times at dawn.

Darkened- eyed as a gazelle when she glanced.

Yen comes then until I am mournful and sleepless

?Does a slumber come again when I am for her vision in need

!Perhaps from her a coming back vision we are inhaled

*********

The Arabic origin of translated poem 4

Poem 5:

The elegy poem about his wife:

Death's hand, no triggers excluded, unless it examined

As a glowing flame in my heart has been emplaced

It enfeebled my resolution even if I am tolerant

It destroyed my arms even if are a javelin like

I didnt know whether I was taken suddenly

or it was an arrow stabbed me in my chest

An occasion makes my eyes shedding abundant tears

Flowing over my cheeks as a reddish strawberry

I didnt expect that I am a weak against life's destiny

To be its victim, then it enfeebled my entire body

I am afflicted with sorrow until I was faded

For a visitor who visits is hardly to be identified

I do ask the help of the sigh while it is scorching

Meanwhile I sipped tears yet it is flowing

My agony never will leave the heart to be calmed

My hand never is capable to return a lover who departed

O, time:

?For what do you torment me taking away my wife

She was my breath and the precious jewel of my life

If you were not a pitiful with me after her departure,

I wish you were with my sons very kinder

O, time you isolated my daughters from their mother

!Sore-eyed cannot sleep having shivering liver

They cast out their jewels after their mother got dead.

By their tears adorned their necks, to be jewels instead

*****

The Arabic origin of translated poem 5

Poem 6:

This poem also was said in homesickness after al-Barudi departure of his country
to be one of the participant leaders who took part with the Ottoman Empire into
its battles with the Russian and especially at Bulgaria region.

The last verses of the poem, which dealt with the description of nation, I do not
translate them.

*****

You are the ever shelter to me when I am in trouble

O, my country my yearning to you is indescribable

My patience and my sleep is to my birthplace

O, country, against my yearning, I am homeless

No arriver delivering good news since I departed

No post had come perhaps making me delighted

Exiling far away of my sociable people

Everyone who strives for loyalty will topple

Is not there any returning for who was remotely grieved?

Is not any carrier of a swift dispatch can be arrived?

Doth the bygone time turn back to be a truth again?

Will it possible the tasty olden days return?

I pretext satisfying myself into a time was gone

But always you had to enjoying in a new one.

Remembering the ancient time is something of obligation

Gratitude of youth time and pledges would attract attention

It is by no means that someone died considering lost

The lost is who desirously into living distantly does accept

******

The Arabic origin of translated poem 6

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