I Testify That There Is No Woman But You - 036

Is he a Syrian poet from Lebanon, or a Lebanese poet from Syria? Every Arab reader may find part of themselves in him. Nizar Qabbani's poetry transcends geographical boundaries to become a universal language. His poetry carries the burden of emotions, even if it does not proclaim theories. His poems were his statement, and his love for people was its best seal. His poetry is a mixture of fragrance that industrialization could not sweep away. , , It remained vibrant with his spontaneity. He is a craftsman, not a manufacturer, a singer from the depths of the forest and the silky sheets of the bed, a composer of rhythms more like a gold balance. Just as Nizar dipped his pen into the heart of emotions, so should we dip our pens into Nizar's poetry. But alas! Who can match his spontaneous flow of the words of Qabbani? The poet of desperate longing and seething anger, the poet of most intense moments, your fire surpasses ours, your flame transcends time. , , In you, there is a fever that heals absence with the hand that God extended to humanity in the form of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam. Ounsi el-Hajj, November 2013.