Walid Abdallah’s translation of his own poem: انا النخلة – Palm Tree (Arabic to English)


I am a palm tree in the vast space

The desert is my home, my place


The Arabs are my folks everywhere

They water me with love and care


I am the symbol of their glory and wealth

I am the source of their dignity and health


In the middle of the desert standing upright 

Witnessing every moment of joy and fight


My roots go down to the deepest earth 

I protect Arabs from famine and dearth


I feed everyone passing by and every astray

Every animal feeds on my leaves and hay


I am the first food Arabs ever know

I stand still whenever storms blow


I have saved people of desert through the ages

Read history books and tour religious pages


I have been the shelter of the different prophets

I have been the wealth of Arabs and their profits 


I am the beauty of desert, I am the palm tree

I am the absolute beauty man's eyes can see.


Walid Abdallah is an Egyptian poet and author. He is a visiting professor of English language and literature in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the USA, his poetry includes “Go Ye Moon”, “The Queen of my Heart”, ” Dream” and “My Heart Oasis”. His books include Shout of Silence, Escape to the Realm of Imagination, The Egyptian Lane and Man Domination and Woman Emancipation, Arc and Seam and his co-translations with Andy Fogle of Farouk Goweda’s poetry have previously appeared in Image, RHINO, Reunion: Dallas Review, and Los Angeles Review. These translations won prestigious prizes in the USA like “Cause”, “Egypt’s Grief”, and “Strangers’ Cross”. https://www.facebook.com/walid.abdallah.562, rezkw488@strose.edu

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