Nizar Qabbani's The Fortune Teller (Spoken Word Poetry)

The Fortune Teller by Nizar Qabbani (1923-1998, Damascus, Syria)
———————
She sat with fear in her eyes
Contemplating the upturned cup
She said "Do not be sad, my son
You are destined to fall in love"
My son, Who sacrifices himself for his beloved,
Is a martyr

For long have I studied fortune-telling
But never have I read a cup similar to yours
For long have I studied fortune-telling
But never have I seen sorrows similar to yours
You are predestined to sail forever
Sail-less, on the sea of love
Your life is forever destined
To be a book of tears
And be imprisoned
Between water and fire

But despite all its pains,
Despite the sadness
That is with us day and night
Despite the wind
The rainy weather
And the cyclone
It is love, my son
That will be forever the best of fates

There is a woman in your life, my son
Her eyes are so beautiful
Glory to God
Her mouth and her laughter
Are full of roses and melodies
And her gypsy and crazy love of life
Travels the world
The woman you love
May be your whole world
But your sky will be rain-filled
Your road blocked, blocked, my son
Your beloved, my son, is sleeping
In a guarded palace
He who approaches her garden wall
Who enters her room
And who proposes to her
Or tries to untie her braids
Will cause her to be lost, my son…lost

You will seek her everywhere, my son
You will ask the waves of the sea about her
You will ask the shores of the seas
You will travel the oceans
And your tears will flow like a river
And at the close of your life
You will return one day, my son
Defeated and broken apart inside
And you will then learn after life has passed you
That you have been pursuing only a trace of smoke
You will find that since your beloved
Has no land, no home, no address
How difficult it is, my son
To love a woman
Who has neither land, nor home


Read in English & Arabic by Ghaith AboulSaoud (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Damascus, Syria)

Music by Lila & Tmac
http://www.lilasakura.com
http://www.delvinshademusic.com


This spoken word piece is part of Darc Kontinents International collaboration project via the net to keep poetry and spoken word alive!
http://www.myspace.com/DarcKontinents
http://www.darckontinents.lilasakura.com

A Lila Production

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Nizar
• Qabbani
• The
• Fortune
• Teller
• Spoken
• Word
• Poetry
• Darc
• Kontinents
• Damascus
• Syria

[ghaithas]

hehehe... my friends who works in Media Section loved the music and they asked for how can I get it...

[LilaSakura]

Did I send to you yet? I can't remember? You wanted without your voice though? Allah Akbar

[MaoSuratt911]

I see a woman in your future my son,the daughter of a very powerful Sultan ( the only daughter and only heir ),an older woman,but nevertheless a virgin.She is incredibly rich beyond your wildest imagination,she got titles,land,gold,silver,diamon­ds and pearl,you name it the woman got it all.And above all she has very very high Cholesterol ....;))))))))))

[biswa1960]

i am sorry i am unable to understand this, your other videos are better .... friend

[averit]

I lol'd.

[dominicanany23]

AWESOME

[jannah7]

love it~!

[lethomia]

I like your other videos but this one is to silly & the speaker is nasally

[HillbillyGansta]

lol thanx for turning me onto Qabbani. He's a jealous one, eh?