Paroles et traduction Alif - Al-Juththa (The Corpse)

Al-Juththa (The Corpse)

عَذّبوا الجُثّةَ
حَتّى طَلعَ الفَجْرُ مُنهَكاً وقامَ الديكُ يحتجُّ
غَرَسوا في لَحْمِها السَّنانير. جَلَدوها بِأسلاكِ الكَهْرُباء
عَلَّقوها مِنَ المِرْوَحَة

عِنْدَما تَعِبَ الجَلّادونَ أَخيراً
وَاسْتراحوا، حَرّكَت الجُثّةُ إصْبعَها الصَّغير
فَتَحَتْ عَينيها الجَريحَتَيْن
وَتَمْتَمَتْ شَيْئاً

هَل كانَتْ تَطلُبُ ماءً؟ هَلْ كانَتْ تُريدُ خُبزاً يا تُرى؟
هَل كانَتْ تَلْعَنُهُم أَم تُطالِبُ بِالمَزيد؟

ماذا كانَت الجُثّةُ تُريد؟

- شعر لسركون بولص. الترجمة الانجليزية لناريمان يوسف

Al-Juththa (The Corpse)

They tortured the body
until dawn broke, exhausted, and the rooster crowed in protest
They drove nails into its flesh. They whipped it with electric wires
They hung it from the ceiling fan

When the torturers finally tired
and rested, the body moved its little finger
It opened its wounded eyes
and whispered something

Was it asking for water? Was it asking for bread, do you think?
Was it cursing them or was it asking for more?

What did the body want?

- Poem by Sargon Boulus. English translation by Nariman Youssef