“Bassam talks to me about the writing of Hemingway, Walt Whitman, Edward Said, Saadi Youssef. He, Samir, and I walk through the streets of Jabal al-Weibdeh, get falafel and sit on the balcony for an afternoon, picturing our dream home.”
The Iraqi Suitcase by Laura Waddington
Source: Saadi Youssef reciting A Woman at the Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín in 2003. Revista Prometo (YouTube)
Translation: How will I drag my feet to her now? / In which land will I see her / and on which street of what city / should I ask about her? / And if I find her house / (let’s suppose I do) / will I ring the bell? / How should I answer back? / And how will I stare at her face as I touch the light wine / seeping between her fingers. / How should I say hello… / and how will I take the pain of all these years? / Once / twenty years ago / in an air-conditioned train / I kissed her all night through.