Translated from the Tunisian by Ahmed Amor Zaabar
My friend, Time,
here you are tracing your delicate lines upon my face.
You are no longer content with passing visits;
you want to leave a trace.
You have accompanied me
since the first thread of dawn at my birth.
For many years you were light in spirit
your gentle presence numbing,
flowing through the fingers of childhood and youth
like a magician who never removes his cloak,
so I fail to recognize him.
What led you
in a moment of awakening,
to bare yourself before me,
to confess your hidden secrets?
You are the ever-present, silent one,
watching closely my defiance,
and my longing for an old image:
the wind swaying a swing
whose ropes my grandmother wove from palm fronds,
and the hushed recoil of the heart.
You alone know how to console the truth
that hides behind me
whenever I turn my back on mirrors.
Do not hide anything from me, my friend.
I have grown enough
to believe that you come to take
and to reorder
what has been scattered within us.
Time, my friend,
that girl
I left her running
between salt and air,
along a shore
On a shore that still holds the memory of her lightness…
About the Author
A Tunisian poet and short story writer from the Kerkennah Islands, born in 1979, Faten Guemri is one of Tunisia’s young contemporary poets and short story writers. Through her writing, she explores the self and the world, reflecting on life and existence. Her first poetry collection (Aktubu Li Tarani / I write to be seen) was published in 2025. She has published several short stories and is currently preparing two new books: a collection of short stories and a third volume that combines narrative with poetic meditation. She practices law and resides in Tunis, where she continues to draw inspiration from her surroundings and experiences.
About the Translator
Ahmed Amor Zaabar (Tunisian, living in London) is a poet, writer, and media specialist. He is the former Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Arab Cultural Forum in Britain, the former Chairman of the Media Committee of the Arab Club in Britain, and the Vice President of the White Ink Club in London. He has published 4 poetry volumes, is currently working on 3 additional poetry volumes. His poetry has been translated into French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Serbian and English. He has been featured in numerous poetry anthologies and has participated in several international poetry festivals.
