A Poem by Wadi Saadeh

[Wadi Saadeh. Image from Poetrybook.com] [Wadi Saadeh. Image from Poetrybook.com]

A Poem by Wadi Saadeh

By : Suneela Mubayi

An Attempt to Reach Beirut from Beirut

Wadi Saadeh

Dedicated to Sargon Boulos

Did I have to step out today to stroke
the enemies’ rocket with my small fingers
to embark upon a road whose asphalt is melting
as I recall the workers in its mine who were dismembered
by dynamite
as I recall its blind, its ancient bohemians
who observe the earth being stripped of its skin
like an immolated pirate
Did I have to go to you
After the last of my wrists died
my feet, my hands embracing each other
like a bride and groom shot by bullets before evening
After I was stripped of all my weapons, in a valley
where the Mongols play
I go to You now, I try to go to You
with what I have left:
A jaw stitched together by bullets
erected as a target for soldiers in their free time
A head put on top of shoulders, like a cork on a fish hook resisting a whale
An arm incapable of waving
A far, far away village
that burst forth from the smoke of the rooftops
And a tree
that crows’ smiles adorn

I try to go to You
It requires for nothing but a simple trip:
A bullet’s promenade
between Tabaris and Hamra street
Yet your shores are separated by a gleaming sea of explosives
and the guards at your door kick me, so I spiral
Spiral down
Endlessly.

Beirut, 1985

* Tabaris and Hamra street are two well-known areas on either side of the “green line” that divided Beirut during the civil war.

** The poem is a response to a poem by Sargon Boulus. You can read it here.

[Translated from the Arabic by Suneela Mubayi. You can read the original Arabic here.]

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A Scenography Workshop by Hussein Baydoun

A Scenography workshop by Hussein Baydoun

8-16 September 2013

Falaki Theater, Cairo, Egypt

 

Hussein Baydoun is a Lebanese artist, architect, and scenographer who is known for his unique approach to set design. Baydoun frequently participates in the creation and development of performances from their early stages with the view that scenography is an essential component to the creation of theatrical work, one no less important than the script. His designs are often inspired by the performance spaces in which he works, where he creates fascinating sets from whatever is available as he challenges conventional notions about theater production, such as in his most recent performance "Alice," which was produced in collaboration with Lebanese playwright and director Sawsan Bou Khaled. In September, Baydoun returned to Cairo to lead a scenography workshop following the same vision. At the American University in Cairo`s Falaki Theater, he worked with six upcoming set designers, in addition to amateurs, on creating imaginative environments from the remnants of old sets and other discarded objects. This video highlights the vision and development of the workshop as Baydoun describes the aim of his teaching methods.  


 

      

     [This video is produced by Medrar TV and is featured as part of a new partnership with Jadaliyya Culture.]