To miriam
- To miriam
ﺍ ﻟ ﻰ ﻣ ﺮ ﻳ ﻢﺍ ﻟ ﻰ ﺍ ﻟ ﺘ ﻲ ﻛ ﺘ ﺒ ﺖ ﻓ ﺎ ﺑ ﺪ ﻋ ﺖﻭ ﺣ ﺎ ﺿ ﺮ ﺕ ﻓ ﺎ ﻳ ﻘ ﻈ ﺖ ﺍ ﺩ ﻣ ﻐ ﺔﺍ ﻟ ﺒ ﻌ ﺾ ﻣ ﻨ ﻬ ﺎ ﻛ ﺎ ﻥ ﻧ ﺎ ﺋ ﻤ ﺎ ﻭ ﺍ ﻟ ﺒ ﻌ ﺾ ﺍ ﻻ ﺧ ﺮ ﺿ ﺎ ﻻ
ﺍ ﻟ ﻰ ﺍ ﻟ ﺘ ﻲ ﺑ ﻘ ﻠ ﻤ ﻬ ﺎ ﻭ ﺻ ﻮ ﺗ ﻬ ﺎ ﻭ ﻓ ﻜ ﺮ ﻫ ﺎ ﻭ ﺃ ﺩ ﺑ ﻬ ﺎ ﺛ ﺎ ﺭ ﺕ ﻭ ﻫ ﺪ ﻣ ﺖ ﺟ ﺪ ﺭ ﺍ ﻧ ﺎ ﻭ ﺣ ﻮ ﺍ ﺟ ﺰﻟ ﻨ ﺒ ﻨ ﻲ ﺣ ﺪ ﺍ ﺋ ﻖ ﻧ ﺘ ﻨ ﻔ ﺲ ﻓ ﻴ ﻬ ﺎ ﺍ ﻟ ﺼ ﻌ ﺪ ﺍ ﺀ ﻭ ﻧ ﺸ ﻌ ﺮ ﺑ ﺒ ﻌ ﺾ ﺍ ﻻ ﻣ ﻞ
ﻓ ﻼ ﻳ ﻐ ﺮ ﻧ ﻚ ﻳ ﺎ ﺍ ﺳ ﺘ ﺎ ﺫ ﺗ ﻨ ﺎ ﻭ ﺭ ﻓ ﻴ ﻘ ﺔ ﺩ ﺭ ﺑ ﻨ ﺎ ﺳ ﻮ ﺍ ﺩ ﻫ ﺬ ﻩ ﺍ ﻟ ﺤ ﻘ ﺒ ﺔﻫ ﺬ ﺍ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺍ ﺩ ﺯ ﺍ ﺋ ﻞ ﺯ ﺍ ﺋ ﻞﻭ ﻟ ﻴ ﺰ ﻭ ﻝ ﻫ ﺬ ﺍ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺍ ﺩ ﻧ ﻬ ﺪ ﻳ ﻚ ﻗ ﻠ ﻤ ﺎ ﻳ ﺤ ﻤ ﻞ ﺣ ﺮ ﻭ ﻑ ﺍ ﺳ ﻤ ﻚ
ﻫ ﻨ ﻴ ﺌ ﺎ ﻟ ﻬ ﺬ ﺍ ﺍ ﻟ ﻘ ﻠ ﻢ ﺍ ﻟ ﺬ ﻱ ﺳ ﻴ ﻜ ﺘ ﺐ ﻣ ﺎ ﻧ ﻨ ﺘ ﻈ ﺮ ﺑ ﻔ ﺎ ﺭ ﻍ ﺍ ﻟ ﺼ ﺒ ﺮ ﻗ ﺮ ﺍ ء ﺘ ﻪ
ﻣ ﻬ ﻰ ﺣ ﺴ ﺎ ﻣ ﻲﺩ ﺭ ﻫ ﺎ ﻡ -ﺍ ﺑ ﺮ ﻳ ﻞ 2017
Her writing is ingeniousHer lectures awaken minds, some dormantand others which had gone astray
She is a rebel who uses her pen and her voice,her ideas and her literature to break walls and hurdlesso we can build gardens where we breathe hope
Do not lament the darkness of this period, oh miriamAs this darkness will inevitably endAnd as we await the dawn,We gift you this pen that carries your initials [End Page 141] Blessed is this pen that will write what we eagerly wait to read …
MAHA HOUSSAMI is an Arabic lecturer at Duke University. She cotaught AMES 320S—"Refugee Lives: Violence, Culture, and Identity"—with miriam cooke in the spring of 2015 and 2016. She launched and is the faculty adviser for INJAZ, a student-run volunteer organization that pairs students with local Arab refugees for language and cultural exchange. Contact: maha.houssami@duke.edu.
