Promoted by its publisher as the “first book of Arabic poetry to be translated into English in NZ” is much more than a curiosity. Some of these are very fine poems indeed. Exile, defeat and loss of family are the major themes here, along with the occasional love poem. Unfortunately the quality of the poems appears strangely uneven- one will dazzle by its apparent mastery of language, while another appears flat and cumbersome.
Upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that by far the most impressive works are those translated by Abdul Monem Nasser. While I can only guess at the challenge faced by the translators here, I do find myself wishing that the gifted Nasser had taken on the task of rendering all of these works into English. It really is a pleasure to have access to such impressive and interesting poetry. Despite his writing in Arabic, in the title poem Basim Furat displays at least a passing familiarity with Maori mythology – certainly enough to weave some striking and unexpected images.
Furat is capable of the occasional magnificent and memorable turn of phrase – for example
I, a firm believer in day break with no grudges
As well as that shriveling tremble before the onset of dusk
It would seem, due to the uneven quality of translation that some of these may well have been lost to an English-speaking audience. A generous glossary of Arabic terms used in the poems is provided but for the less successful translations it’s of little help. For the meantime Here and There offers a tantalizing glimpse of some very fine poetry.
