Wael Al-Mahdi Is there a bigger monument than the love of fate? Than love of time?  Love of life? You, who set up pillars of tears and blood Set up in your site a monument to fate.

There is no contending with time Time, when passed, is difficult to face It is worse than the bandit Worse than the insolent spawn of the rabble.  

I envy all lovers For their intimation of intimacy, and the sweetness of closeness  Be it in togetherness, or in separation. I envy Romeo, and Juliette For their love of life, and their love of youth. I envy the great poet Dante

لسانُ حالِ الصبّار يقول: أنا صبّارٌ – في زاوية الحديقة، قد تسربلتُ بأشواقٍ دقيقة داخلي يقطرُ شهداً – وأحاسيسي رقيقة تربتي تنبضُ وحياً وعروقي – كم عريقة ! قال لي الجوريُ يوماً:  من تكون؟ فقلتُ:  أنا سكون.  وعلاجُ للجنون. ترتبي:  فيها كنوزٌ وأحاجي ورموزٌ وانجلاءٌ للحقيقة. إن أتاكَ الوحيُ يوماً – فحذاري أن تعيقَه فانكباتُ [...]

The feeling is horrible:  on a searing hot Gulf day, stuck on the highway (or at least what passes for highways in Bahrain), in a very long queue of cars, bumper to bumper, motorists fuming along with their exhausts.  It’s more like a procession than a highway.  You’re claustrophobically cooped up in your mobile sacrophagus, while [...]