"kamal" poems
The Story
by Kamal Nasser
translation by Michael R. Burch
I will tell you a story ...
a story that lived in the dreams of my people,
a story that comes from the world of tents.
It is a story inspired by hunger and embellished by dark nights of terror.
It is the story of my country, a handful of refugees.
Every twenty of them have a pound of flour between them
and a few promises of relief ... gifts and parcels.
It is the story of the suffering ones
who stood waiting in line ten years,
in hunger,
in tears and agony,
in hardship and yearning.
It is a story of a people who were misled,
who were thrown into the mazes of the years.
And yet they stood defiant,
disrobed yet united
as they trudged from the light to their tents:
the revolution of return
into the world of darkness.
Kamal Nasser was a much-admired Palestinian poet and Palestinian Christian, who due to his renowned integrity was known as "The Conscience." He was a member of Jordan's parliament in 1956. He was murdered in 1973 by an Israeli death squad whose most notorious member was future Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak (born Ehud Brog) later ruled as Israel’s tenth Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001. His adopted Hebrew name Barak means "lightning." As a younger man, Brog/Barak was a member of a secret assassination unit that liquidated Palestinians in Lebanon and the occupied territories. In the 1973 covert mission Operation Spring of Youth in Beirut, which was part of the larger Operation Wrath of God, he disguised himself as a woman in order to assassinate Palestinians. The raid resulted in the deaths of two women, one of them an elderly Italian. Two Lebanese policemen were also killed, along with the poet Kamal Nasser.
Nasser was the PLO's most prominent Christian and he enjoyed "great appeal" in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq "both as a distinguished poet and likeable personality." He was the “conscience of the Palestinian revolution,” according to Nazih Abul-Nidal, who worked with him on the magazine Filastin al-Thawra. Nasser “had the most democratic outlook of all Palestinian leaders at the time,” he recalls. He respected opposing views, admired the commitment of young people, and was a major recruitment asset for the Palestinian revolution. “That is why he was put high on the hit-list.” The previous year, the Israelis had murdered another renowned Palestinian writer and activist in Beirut, Ghassan Kanafani, by booby-trapping his car. Nasser’s successor, Majed Abu Sharar, was also assassinated by Israelis, in Rome in 1981 while attending a conference in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Keywords/Tags: Kamal Nasser, Palestinian, Palestine, PLO, Conscience, Ramallah, Christian, religion, poet, Arab, Arabic, Arab Spring, betrayal, conflict, courage, devotion
Dec 9, 2021
Dec 9, 2021 at 7:55 AM UTC
Tere liye pyaar ne pankh lagaye
Mera dil chahe panchhi ban ud jaaye
Tere liye mor ne pankh bikhraye
Saawan ki aas mein kitne rang dikhaye
Teri baaton ka sur hawaaon mein ghul jaaye
Saans se saans tak chhupi baatein chalti jaayein
Chaandni raaton mein tera khwaabon ka jahan
Tere ishq mein, har pal ek naya armaan hai
Tere liye yeh pyaar pankh lagaye
Door ambar mein panchhi ban ud jaaye
Tera ishq rahe sadaa be-andaaz
Har lamha agla pal sun-hare sajaaye
Teri aankhon mein hai ek saahil ka aalam
Har lehar mein chhupa ek naya manzar hai
Bheegi si khamoshi ke raag chal pade
Tere saath guzarta har lamha bemisaal hai
Baarish jugnu ka noor na mita de
Mor ka naach aandhi mein tham na jaaye
Tu bhool na jaaye, mera dil ghabraaye
Veeran na ** jaaye saaqi mere khwabon ka
Jab baarish thehri, ta-roon kamal khil jaaye
Doodh chandni mein rang bikhar jaaye
Jugnu phir se tere ehsas mein jhil-milaye
Aur mera pyaar phir pankh lagaye
Tere liye yeh pyaar pankh lagaye
Door ambar mein panchhi ban ud jaaye
Tera ishq rahe sadaa be-andaaz
Har lamha agla pal sun-hare sajaaye
Meri fitrat mein tu sadaa basa rahe......
----------------English Translation------------
For you, love has found its wings,
My heart longs to fly, a bird that sings.
For you, the peacock spreads its wings wide,
In the hope of rain, colors come alive.
Your voice melts into the breeze,
Whispers wander with such ease.
In moonlit skies, your dreamlands gleam,
In every breath, a brand new dream.
For you, this love takes flight on high,
A bird that soars in the endless sky.
May this love forever blaze and roam,
Each moment a dream in golden bloom.
In your eyes, a shoreline calls,
Each wave reveals new miracles.
Songs of silence softly play,
With you, each moment’s a rare ballet.
Let not the rain ***** fireflies' glow,
Let peacocks dance through winds that blow.
May you never forget my trembling heart,
Or leave my dreams to fall apart.
When the rains come to rest, pond-lotuses gleam,
Colors blossom in moon’s soft beam
Fireflies flicker in your tender grace,
And love again finds its winged embrace.
For you, this love takes flight on high,
A bird that soars in the endless sky.
May this love forever blaze and roam,
Each moment a dream in golden bloom.
In the fabric of my soul, you will stay,
A breath of my being, come what may...
Apr 26, 2025
Apr 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM UTC
Aao sathiyo Mai tumhe thoda sa vyapar sikha du
Machino ki is duniya Mai bikta Ye insan dikha du
Suraj se Brahmand tak fir Prithvi se Ye chand tak
Kahaniyo k Mai aj hazaro gulistan bicha dun
Aao sathiyo Mai....
Badal raha h waqt Ye Yaro badal rahi h duniya
Badalti is duniya Mai sambhalta Mai insan dikha du
Aao sathiyo Mai...
Hai daud yaha par paise ki paise ka mayajaal h
Hota ik pal Mai idhar udhar kaisa bedhangi kamal h
Kamaal ki is sajish ka Mai tumhe sartaaj bata du
Aao sathiyo Mai...
Tum dhund rahe the aj jise kal Mai kese mil jaega
Jo kho chuka vo ** chuka tu khud ko kese batlaega...
Mai batlata hu tumhe ab tum ko bhi Ye chaal sikha du
Aao sathiyo Mai...
Dec 12, 2017
Dec 12, 2017 at 4:02 PM UTC
***Years Ago ,
A leaf
Presented by my Niece ,
Nurtured and Nourished
Weeded and Pruned
The Plant ,
Vivacious and Green
This time of the year
Gloriously blooms
Bhrama Kamal
'Queen of the Night'
A beauty Rare
Mystic and Divine
Twilight ,
Your beauty Unveils
Milky white Petals Slowly Unfurl
A translucent Sheen
Makes my Spirit Gleam
By Midnight,
Your beauty Shimmers
The gentle breeze of the night
Wafts
The fragrance of the Exotic Blooms
Into the Rooms
The scintillating Blooms
In Harmony with The beauteous Moon
Cast a Spell
For me
And
The Starlit Sky to Revel
Your beauty all Divine and Pure
Wilts Away
Shying
The Dawn
The Sun enchanted
By The Magical Dream
Lost in The Mystical Allure***
Aug 16, 2017
Aug 16, 2017 at 8:55 AM UTC
yay jo haal hoa sare- shaam hi,
siyah dasht -o- garibaan hoa,
Mjhay hasil naan tha jo kamal bhe,
Wo bay-sabab shikasta -o -jaan hoa..
aay rahbar -e-zindagi, yay kaisi taveel tar raat hai,
Naan amaan mili, naan hi koe imtihaan hoa!!
Wo jo pamaal kar gay meray khwab ko,
us hashar-e- jaan ka kia samaan hoa;
Yunheen gard main liptay bujhay khayal,
Shahr say jaanay ka yun ihtimaam hoa!
Yay rang nhn saraab hain,yay ehsaas say door paar hain,
Meray bayrabt say tootay pyaar main,Jo hoa tou bass yunheen hoa!!
Feb 19, 2019
Feb 19, 2019 at 11:56 AM UTC
I am Indian by birthright,
Simply black when it feels right,
A gender champion through and through,
A Southern Belle from the Bayou.
I cover all the bases from Gay rights to MeToo,
Environmental warriors – I’ll always stand with you.
Black lives truly matter, the Homeless my pet task,
All you need is Me, you don’t even need to ask.
Show me any audience and I'll immediately relate,
Where's the very harm to myself Ingratiate;
They say my laughs a cackle, but that's blatantly untrue,
It's simply Inner-me, reaching out to Outer-you.
As to championing Hamas, that's nothing but a slur,
The fact my husband's Jewish should that thought conclusively deter,
Same deal with loving felons, what will they dream up next,
That I'm a prosecutor who's never read the text?
On drugs and immigration, they titled me the Tsar,
I never asked for that as our Border is too far,
I'd rather spend my days engaging our core base,
Cajoling them to spend for this pivotal new race.
Vance calls me a Chameleon, Trump's confused by who I am,
They'll figure soon enough the cunning of this femme,
The more I keep them guessing, the less prepared they'll be,
When finally I pounce, then they'll twig who's truly me.
I've got the Party pliant, putty in my hands,
Celebrities galore, like shiny rubber bands;
Money pouring in, donors by the score,
All the worthwhile Media gushing it's Kamala they adore.
As to any policies, I don't stay up at nights,
Why worry when my bag holds Reproductive rights;
C'mon Donald, admit you’ve badly lost,
I'm the future President and you’ll be simply Toast.
Aug 2, 2024
Aug 2, 2024 at 3:41 PM UTC
i like to share this story from sherina to say ------ is very good story beacase our people in last life was saw girls are bad something in there life but i see girls is the best thing god give us to live our life and see sherina saad is best friend to me case she is so kind
sherif kamal
Apr 30, 2013
Apr 30, 2013 at 8:09 PM UTC
Kautilya or Katyayan,
They were the best examples in their own essence.
Khana or Galileo,
Couldn't be to become too dear to many.
Van Gogh or Jibanananda Das,
Society did not recognize them, all were delusions.
Sukarno or Kamal Ataturk,
Have they got the real happiness of freedom?
Asking questions back to whom today,
To answer these, who remains there!
Apr 10, 2022
Apr 10, 2022 at 3:21 AM UTC
Kamal ka phool kechad mein khilta hai
Par dekk tere damann mein kechad kitna hai
Pyar baatne se badta hai
Dharm ke naam phe tu kyu ladta hai
Janta hu koi naah hai masoom
Par akhir mein insan hi tho marta hai
Bhattka sa tu firta hai
Tutt jaane phe
Hasna kyu bhulta hai
Aye musaafir tujhe aage badna hai
Tu chalta re
Manzil ka pata nahi
Kar wahi jo lage dil ko sahi
Yaar aaise hai jo
Bhulane par bhi bhulte nahi
Bachpan ki yaade
Whai purani baate
Andheri raato mein hum ghum ** gaye sabhi
Kho diya humne apne aapko
Iss insano ki basti mein kahi
Abb kyu jalta hai tu
Naah raha ishq naah mehboob
Kya baacha hai karne ko mehsus
Dillagi aur bedardi ke beech hu masroof...
Mar 28, 2021
Mar 28, 2021 at 10:31 AM UTC
Rabab baj rahi thi kahi, jaha khuda bhi naach raha tha,
Phir na jaane kaunsi yaad-e-dard baraat leke agayi.
Naghma jo lehrake aayi, banke sur-e-shahen shah,
Wo sur jo nafs se mile, to khud dard banke beh gayi.
Aye mere jaan-o-dil, jamal-e-mah suna teri nazm-e-kamal,
Hum to ro rahe hain, jab se teri lafzon, aasu ban ke beh gayi.
Andaaz mat pucho koi, apna batane layak nahi rahi,
Khair agar puch hi liya hai, to kya batayen, koi andaz hi nahi rahi.
Bata to denge hum, par koi kyun sunega,
Khair agar sun hi liya hai, to sun ke bhi kya samjhega.
Baatein to bohot hain, gar koi sunna chahe to,Par kaun sunne ke liye baitha rahe?
Khair agar baith hi gaya ** to ek be-kafan lash ka,Nazm-e-ashk bhi sun ke jao.
Ro to nahi rahe the hum, wo kam to apna lafz kar raha tha,
Achanak wo rabab yaad agayi, jis pe khuda nach raha tha.
Hum to baithe the, ab khare ** gaye,
Na jaane apna rone ki awaaz, us mehfil ko kharab na karde.
Ab mai chal raha hoon, kahi aur jaa raha hoon,
Kidhar jaa raha hoon, utna nahi pata,
Bas rabab se dur chala jaun,
Nayi mehfil sajane, udhar firse nazm-e-ashk bhi suna na hai.
Oct 27, 2024
Oct 27, 2024 at 11:21 AM UTC
Kamal ki baat h n,
Jise humne sab kuch lutakar pyaar kiya
Aaj usse hi humare pass laut Kar nahi aana hai!
Sep 18, 2020
Sep 18, 2020 at 4:50 AM UTC
Kamal ki baat hai na,
Pyaar aur vishvaas behaad Kar liya tumse,
Bas ye nafrat hi hai ,
Jo na Jane Kyu behaad nahi hoti tumse!
Apr 17, 2020
Apr 17, 2020 at 10:37 AM UTC