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Poetry

The Mirror

By Mohamed Ouagrar
Translated from Tamazight by Brahim El Guabli
Poet Mohamed Ouagrar turns the mirror's reflective qualities upon the writing self.
Listen to Mohamed Ouagrar read the poem in the original Tamazight
 
 
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I long for you myself
I looked at you in the mirror
I was motionless
In the mirror I see another
He sometimes praises me
He sometimes imitates me
Sometimes he laughs
Sometimes he cries
Other times he frowns
Other times he smiles
At times he barks
At other times he whistles
He has the road
I have the stones
He is the skin
I am the viper
He has the rainbow and the hail
And I have the tears of the wind
I tried to kiss him
but he punched me
Stretched his hand to hit me
The mirror broke into small pieces
Penetrated me
I stretched my hand to gather the pieces
They hurt me
Left me with a wound
Longing returned, inhabited me
Myself and Me are one
But each of us has his own ways
I long for you myself.

© Mohamed Ouagrar. By arrangement with the author. Translation © 2024 by Brahim El Guabli. All rights reserved.

English Tamazight (Original)

I long for you myself
I looked at you in the mirror
I was motionless
In the mirror I see another
He sometimes praises me
He sometimes imitates me
Sometimes he laughs
Sometimes he cries
Other times he frowns
Other times he smiles
At times he barks
At other times he whistles
He has the road
I have the stones
He is the skin
I am the viper
He has the rainbow and the hail
And I have the tears of the wind
I tried to kiss him
but he punched me
Stretched his hand to hit me
The mirror broke into small pieces
Penetrated me
I stretched my hand to gather the pieces
They hurt me
Left me with a wound
Longing returned, inhabited me
Myself and Me are one
But each of us has his own ways
I long for you myself.

tisit

ixf inu
Yaγ iyi umarg nnun
Aggwγ nn s is γ tisit
Nkk siyyaγ
Ur ar ttmussuγ
Ar iyi ittalγ
Ar iyi isignit
Yat γ a- yalla
Yat γ a-ittṣṣa
Yat γ isskernser ignzi
Yat γ izmumg i taḍṣa
Yat γ a-ittwaγ
Yat γ a-isnṣig
Dars aγaras
Dari tansa
Nttan asray
Nkkin ablinka
Dars tislit n unẓaṛ
D briru
Dari imṭṭawn n ijiwi
Giγ nn ad t ssudmγ
Ikkeḍ iyi
Ig d afus ad iyi yut
Tg tisit izlallayn
Iddm iyi
Giγ nn ad gruγ azlallay
Ibḍel iyi
Ifl d azmul
Yaḍu d umarg
Ils iyi
Ixf inu, nkk d itun
Ku yan
Ma γ t iga uḍaṛ ns
Ixf inu
Inγa iyi umarg nnun

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