Egypt: 500 days since arrest of poet Galal El-Behairy
Galal El Behairy
Today, 15 July, marks 500 days since the arrest of Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy. El-Behairy was sentenced for “insulting the military” and “spreading false news” on charges related to his latest book of poetry, ‘The Finest Women on Earth’. We call for his immediate and unconditional release, the quashing of his sentence, and for all charges against him to be dropped.
To mark this day we ask you to share El-Behairy's latest poem, published below in both English and Arabic, and to take action for him here.
I have a date with tomorrow
I have a date with tomorrow
But, man, I am in prison
I would love to see you tomorrow
So will you visit me, if only in my dreams?
Tomorrow is not coming tomorrow
And my heart is oozing blood!
Between coffee and smoke
Between mattress and prison bars
Between jail and jailer
Between lucidity and disorientation
I wait…
The prison walls don’t know us
They don’t see the human in us!
They only know humans as prisoners
As numbers
Always standing in line
Living and dying in line
We’re the people who are born and die
Waiting…
O Freedom!
You most beautiful of women
You most difficult of women
I implore you, meet me on a date tomorrow
If only for a second…
Give me new steps
And a heart made of steel
That doesn’t grow tired
And people who love without fear
And a promise that’s new
A promise not heard before
Nights that pass, my brunette …
- you know -
In this prison
Nights are merciless.
My heart is eroded in the flood
My soul trembles and wilts.
Patience, it turns out, is not enough
Nor does it heal
Nor is it a virtue…
I am away
You and I are tired of being away
This dawn is not truthful
This night is not deceitful
O prison outside of me
O imprisoned sigh
O prison inside of me
Your walls are stubborn, without doors.
O friends and lovers
We wait…
Despite the ghastly sight
Despite the hidden moon
Your smell is a knife in the rib
Your taste, in my mind, is sugar sweet
Your love… a divine touch
I touch it with my soul, and I break.
From the ruins, an image emerges
Tender, smelling of ambergris
An image that can be
Very easily interpreted.
The years of prison and exile
In my heart, you know,
The letters of your name are hidden
Beneath red lipstick.
And man, I sit in my prison cell
The dream visits me, carrying another dream
Distress leaves
Making room for more distress
And I wait for tomorrow’s date
To come tomorrow, late!
أنا عندي میعاد مع بكرة
بس انا في السجن یاعم
انا نفسي أشوفك بكرة
فَ لو حتى تجیني فـ حلم
و ادي بكرة مابیجیش بكرة
والقلب بیشلب دم !
مابین القهوة والدخان
مابين الفرشة والقضبان
مابین السجن والسجان
مابین التوهة والفوقان
بستنظر . .
وسور السجن ماعرفناش
ولا شافش البشر فینا !
ولا یفهمش غیر ان البشر سُجنا
نِمَر ميرى
تملي وقوفها طوابیري
حیاتها وموتها طوابیري
یاشعب بیتولد ویموت
. . بیستنظر
یاحریة !!
یاأجمل بنت في الدنیا
وأصعب بنت في الدنیا
أمانة علیكي تدیني لبكرة میعاد
ولو ثانیة . .
وتدیني خطاوي جداد
وقلب حدید مبیملش
وناس بتحب ماتخافش
ووعد جدید مهوش متعاد
لیالي تمر یاسمرا . .
- ولو عارفة -
في هذا السجن بتعدي
اللیالي شداد
وقلبي بینجرف في السیل
وروحي بتترعش وتمیل
و اتاري الصبر مش كافي
ولا شافي
ولا هو جميل..
وانا غایب
وانا وانتي .. شبعنا غیاب
فَ هذا الفجر مش صادق
وهذا اللیل مهوش كداب
وآه یاسجن من برة
وآه یا آهه مش حرة
وآه یاسجن جوایا
حیطانه عنیدة مالهاش باب
آهین یافرقة الأحباب
ونستنظر..
برغم بشاعة المنظر
ورغم ان القمر غایب
وریحتك في الضلوع خنجر
وطعمك في الخیال سكر
وعشقك . . مَسّ ربَّانى
امسه بروحي واتكسر
وتطلع مِالركام صورة
رقیقة ریحتها كالعنبر
وتتفسر..
بكل بساطة تتفسر
سنین السجن والمنفى
وجوه القلب لو عارفة
حروف اسمك بتتخف. .
بروچ أحمر
وانا قاعد في سجني یاعم
یزورني الحلم شایل حلم
ویرحل هم سایب هم
وبستنظر . . میعاد بكرة
یجیني بكرة متأخر!