ISRAELI POETS AS CHANGE AGENTS

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Lehrhaus Judaica Fall 2020

RABBI REUVEN GREENVALD ([email protected])

WEEK THREE: ISRAELI ARABS USING HEBREW POETRY TO ASSERT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL IDENTITY

AYAT ABOU SHMEIS

Ayat Abou Shmeiss was born in Jaffa in 1984. Her mother, who was illiterate, insisted she get the best and broadest education possible, and as a result she completed her schooling at the French Jaffa school College de Ferrer, and speaks five languages: Arabic, Hebrew, French, English and Spanish. She is the לס אלמ תופש ) second of four children. Her first book of poetry, A Basket Full of Silent Languages also a ,( נא י הז נש י םי ) came out in 2013, in both Arabic and Hebrew. Her second, I Am Two ( תוקתוש bilingual volume, was published in 2018.

Abou Shmeiss, who writes in Hebrew, won the Emerging Poets Award from the Israel Ministry of Culture in 2015. She has stated that she is constantly asked about this choice, whether simply because it seems odd to write in a language that is not one's native tongue, or because it is akin to "sleeping with the enemy". Abou Shmeiss says it was only years after beginning to write in Hebrew that she acknowledged that it is indeed a form of colonialism or occupation, but that it came naturally for her to write in Hebrew – to her Arabic is a holy language, the language of the Quran, and she would be diminishing it by writing her everyday thoughts and feeling. Yet, after she writes her poems in Hebrew, they are translated into Arabic so that her published books can be bilingual.

In the poem that gives the title to her second book, I am Two, we get a sense of the how language and identity play out for her (see next page):

1 ִנֲא י הֶז נְשׁ ַ י םִ I am two קֶלֵח א קֶלֵחְו ב Part 1 and part 2 דַצ דָחֶא דָצְו נֵשׁ ִ י One side and the other side נְשׁ ֵ םֶהי םיִדָגֻּנְמ Both of them in conflict אַךְ ִנֲא י הָבוֹרְק ֵנְשִׁל םֶהי But I am close to both of them " ֹבּ רֶ ק , הָמ ְנִע ִנָי םי , ,boker1, mah inyanim2“ הָלְליִדְמַח , וו הָלאָ hamdilelah3, walla4 רֶדֵסְבּ , הָלְלאָי be-seder5, yalla6 תאָמָלָס וּק נ ִ י רֶשֶׁקְבּ " ”salamat7 quni8 be-kesher9 הֶזְו קֵלַּחְתִמ םַגּ " םאָלָסְל םוּכּיֵלָעַו תַבַּשְׁו םוֹלָשׁ " -and that also divides into “le-salaam we לָכּ ִכָפֲהַה םי ִכָפְּהֶנַּה םי הֶלֵּאָה יִנֲאַו םָכוֹתְבּ aleikum10 ve-shabbat shalom11 All these opposing opposites and I am in them

1 Hebrew: “morning” short hand for boker tov, “good morning” 2 Hebrew expression that is best translated as “what’s up?” 3 Arabic: “Thank Allah” 4 Arabic: “by Allah” and is used in Hebrew slang for “wow.” 5 Hebrew: “okay” 6 Arabic: lit. “O Allah” but it in colloquial Arabic and in Hebrew slang it means “hurry up” 7 Arabic lit. “may you be well” and used in colloquial Arabic and Hebrew as a greeting. 8 Arabic: “I will be” 9 Hebrew: lit., “in connection” here it means “in touch” like in the phrase, “I will be in touch” 10 Arabic: “peace be unto you” like the Hebrew shalom aleikhem. 11 Hebrew: “sabbath peace”

2 רוּק ְ ס לָשְׁמִמ לוֹפוּ ִ ִטי קי הָ רְשִׂיְבּ לֵאָ A Government and Politics Course in Israel

ִיָה יִתי הָיִּבָרֲעָה I was the only Arab תיִמְלְסֻמַּה Muslim ַלָפַה ִטְס ני ִ תי הָדיִחְיַּה הָתִּכָּבּ . .Palestinian in the class ֹז תא ֹל א םַעַפַּה הָנוֹשׁאִרָה נֲאֶשׁ ִ י הָדיִחְיַּה This wasn’t the first time I was the only one אַךְ םַעַפַּה הָיָה וֹשׁ נ ֶ ה but this time it was different םָלֻּכּ מאָ ְ ר וּ סְרוּקַּהֶשׁ הֶזַּה הֶשָׁק they all said this course was difficult וּנִּכּ וֹתוֹא וֹשׁ האָ ”they called it “shoah12 תַניִחְבִּמ רֶמֹחַה because of the material ֹל י רֶמֹחַה הָיָה הֶשָׁק אַךְ ֹל א ְמ ֹא ד it was hard for me but not so much הָמ ָהֶשׁ י הָ ִלי תֶמֱאֶבּ הָשָׁק but what was really hard for me הֶז תֶבֶשָׁל הָתִּכַּבּ ַעֹמְשִׁלְו תוֹא ָ ם . .was to sit in the class and to listen to them תֶא הֶחְנַמַּה , ,To the instructor לָבֲא רָקִּעְבּ תֶא םיִטְנֶדוּטְסַּה but mostly to the students רָבְכֶּשׁ שָׁגְּפִמַּבּ ןוֹשׁאִרָה מאָ ְ ר וּ לוֹקְבּ תֶא םֶהיֵתוֹעֵדּ who already in the first session would say ִלוֹפַּה תוֹיִּטי their political opinions aloud הֶחְנַמַּהְו מאָ ַ ר ְכּ ֶד ֶרךְ גּאַ ַ ב וֹא ֹלֶּשׁ א and the instructor said by the way or maybe וּהֶשׁ א רֵשׁ תֵ אָבָצְבּ יִבָרְקִבּ not כוֹז ֶ תֶ ר רֹוּעִשׁ דָחֶא יְמִבּ דָחֻ that he served in a combat unit in the army וֹבֶּשׁ וּנַּדּ טוּעִמַּבּ יִבְרַעָה I remember one lecture in particular םָשֶּׁשׁ לֹכַּה רַמֱאֶנ לוֹקְבּ םָר . where we were discussing the Arab minority לָכּ ִלְקַּה תוֹאָשׁי מּה ְ ֻח ְס ָפּ ס וֹ ת תוֹסָבֻּכְמַּהְו .and there everything was said loudly לָבֲא םָלוֹעֵמ הֶז ֹל א הָיָה לָכּ ָכּךְ רְפּ ָ ִט י , לָכּ ָכּךְ ִא ני ְ ִט ִמי י . All the coarse and washed-out clichés דַע רִהֶשׁ גְּ ִתְּשַׁ י לָכּ הָלִּמ הָדְדֻּק יִתָמְשִׁנְבּ . but it had never been so personal, so הֶחְנַמַּה םיִמָעְפִל הָיָה ִגֵמ בי , ןֵקַּתְמ םיִרָבְדּ , םיִמָעְפִלְו .intimate ֹל א , ןֵקַּתְמ Until I felt every word encoded into my soul. לָכְבּ ֹז תא שֵׁי וֹל ֹח רֶמ ריִבֲעַהְל ןַמְזַּהְו ֹל א ונֵתָבוֹטְל ּ. ,The instructor would sometimes respond יִנֲאַו לָכּ הָמ רֶשׁ ִצָ ִתי י הֶז ֶשׁסּ ףוֹ רוּעִשַּׁה עיִגַּי ַ ,correct something, and sometimes not יֵדְכּ תאֵצָל הָתִּכַּהֵמ regardless he had material to teach and the ִנְתַהְל ַעי תֶא ַעוֹנְטַקַּה רֹזֲחַלְו לאַ אָפאָי . :time was not to our benefit And I really just wanted the lecture to end in order to leave the class to start my moped and return to Yaffa13.

Translated by Reuven Greenvald. The poem appears in I am in two (Hebrew & Arabic, 2018).

12 Hebrew: “catastrophe” and is the Hebrew word for “The Holocaust” 13 She uses the Arabic name for the city of Jaffa whereas in Hebrew it is called “Yafo”

3 ( ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע לוֹמ ֶ ֶ ד ת ) (I don’t want to write about homeland)

ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע לוֹמ ֶ ֶ ד ת I don’t want to write about homeland אֹלְו לַע הָמָדֲא nor about land ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע תוּהֶז נֶּשׁ ִ ג ְ נ הָבְ I don’t want to write about identity אֹלְו לַע הָדְלָי נֶּשׁ רֶהֶ גְ הָ stolen ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל nor about a girl who was killed לַע הָלָפְּשַׁה יוּכִּדּ וֹא סַעַכּ I don’t want to write about humiliation ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע פאַ ְ ל ָ י ָ ה oppression nor anger ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע האַ ֲ ָב ה I don’t want to write about לֶשׁ ָע יִבְר הָיִּדוּהיִו discrimination וֹא יִדוּהְי הָיִּבְרַעְו I don’t want to write about love ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע תוּדיִדְי האָָלְפֻמ between an Arab man and a Jewish אֹלְו םָתְס תוּדיִדְי woman ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע םוֹלֲח לֶשׁ םוֹלָשׁ or a Jewish man and an Arab woman ֹל א צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע ףאַ חוֹל ֵ ם I don’t want to write about exceptional ףאְַו רוֹבִּגּ friendship צוֹר ָ ה בֹתְּכִל לַע רֳפִּצַּה םיִ nor any friendship ֶשׁ ֹלּ א ַמָשַּׁבּ םִי I don’t want to write about a dream of גֶּשׁ ָ וּרְז םֶהָל תֶא םִיַפָנְכַּה peace I don’t want to write about any warrior nor hero I want to write about the birds not in the sky because their wings were clipped

Translated by Reuven Greenvald. The poem appears in I am in two (Hebrew & Arabic, 2018).

4 ( םִא ִיָה יִתי אָמִּא י יִּדוּהְ הָ ) (If I were a Jewish mother)

םִא ִיָה יִתי אָמִּא הָיִּדוּהְי If I were a Jewish mother יִתיִיָהְו רְצ הָכיִ ַחֹלְשִׁל and I had to send תֶא ִנְבּ י אָבָצַּל my son to the army ִיָה יִתי תֶמֶחְלִנ I would fight I would sew ִיָה יִתי שׁוֹק ֶ ֶ ר ת my tongue to his ears תֶא ִנוֹשְׁל י ָנְזאְָל וי I would glue my hand ִיָה יִתי הָקיִבְּדַמ תֶא יִדָי to his legs רְל ָלְגַ וי I would hang my heart ִיָה יִתי לוֹתּ ָ ה תֶא יִבִּל on his eyes לַע ָניֵע וי

ֹלֶּשׁ א יֵלֵךְ so that he won’t go

Translated by Reuven Greenvald. The poem appears in I am in two (Hebrew & Arabic, 2018).

5 ( הֶז רֶדֵסְבּ ) (It’s okay)

הֶז רֶדֵסְבּ It’s okay תּאַ ָ ה לֹכָי ֹרֲהַל ג you can kill לָבֲא קַר םִא שֵׁי לְךָ בוֹר ֶ ה but only if you have a rifle הָתּאְַו שׁוּבָל םיִדַּמְבּ . .and you are wearing a uniform ףאַ דָחֶא ֹל א אָרְקִי לְךָ No one will call you לֵבַּחְמ . .a terrorist

הֶז רֶדֵסְבּ It’s okay תּאַ ָ ה לֹכָי ֹרֲהַל ג you can kill לָבֲא קַר םִא שֵׁי לְךָ סוֹטָמ but only if you have jet ִטֵמֶּשׁ לי הָצָצְפּ לַעַמ ִנְבִמ םי . .that drops a bomb on buildings ףאַ דָחֶא ֹל א אָרְקִי לְךָ No one will call you צוֹר ֵ ַח . .a murderer וּאְרְקִי לְךָ רוֹבִּגּ They will call you a hero וּנְתִּיְו לְךָ תוֹא קוֹה ָ ָ ר ה And they will pin a ribbon on you14 לָבֲא םֵחַנְתִתּ But don’t take comfort ִכּ י הָכָכּ That’s the way it is הֶז בֹרְבּ תוֹניִדְמ םָלוֹעָה . .In most countries in the world

Translated by Reuven Greenvald. The poem appears in I am in two (Hebrew & Arabic, 2018).

14 Literally, “they will give a you sign of merit”

6 SALMAN MASALHA Salman Masalha was born in Al-Maghar , a Druze-majority town in the Galilee region in the north of Israel in 1953. He moved to Jerusalem in 1972 to study and he has lived there ever since. He earned his Ph.D in Arabic literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he has taught Arabic language and literature.

He is the author of six volumes of poetry in Arabic, most recently Lughat Umm (‘Mother Tongue,’ 2006), and one collection in Hebrew, Ehad Mikan (‘In Place15,’ 2004). His articles, columns, poems, and translations have appeared widely in Arabic, Hebrew, and European languages. In 2006, he won the President of Israel’s Prize for Literature for his book of Hebrew poetry. He is a frequent contributor to the Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz.

15 On the inside title page of the book, the book is called in English In Place, however the Hebrew literally translates as “one from here.”

7 נא י בתוכ תירבע I write in Hebrew

ִנֱא י בֵתוֹכּ רְבִע תיִ , I write in Hebrew ִבְשִׁבֶּשׁ ִלי י ֶניֵא הָנּ תַפְשׂ םֵא , ,which is not my mother-tongue יֵדְכּ תֶכֶלָל דוּבִּאְל םָלוֹעָבּ . .in order to get lost in the world ִמי ֶשׁלּ ֹא הוֹלֵךְ לְ ִאבּוּד ל ֹא Those who don’t get lost won’t אָצְמִי תֶא םֵלָשַּׁה . .find the whole ִכּ י ןָתוֹא תוֹעָבְּצֶאָה ףַכְבּ .All have the same toes on the foot לֶגֶרָה םָלֻּכְל . ו וֹתוֹאְ לָדוּגֲא Walking with the same big toe touching the heel.16 ֶשׁהוֹלֵךְ ְבּ ַצד ָע ֵקב. And in Hebrew, sometimes, I write תיִרְבִעְו , םיִמָעְפִל , יִנֲא תוֹכּ ֵ ב in order to cool down the blood that flows incessantly יֵדְכּ ֵנַּצְל ן תֶא םָדַּה רָגִּנֶּשׁ אֹלְל from the heart. There rooms ףֶרֶה ןִמ בֵלַּה . םיִרָדֲח שֵׁי aplenty in the palace I built in ְבּ ֶשׁ ַפע ָבּאַ ְרמוֹן ֶשׁ ָבּנִי ִתי ְבּתוֹךְ my chest cavity17. But, the colors ֵבּ תי זָחֶה הֶ . ו םָלוּאְ , םיִעָבְצַּה ,of the night, which spreads out on the bare walls לֶשׁ ַלַּה י הָלְ נֶּשׁ רְמִ חַ לַע תוֹריִ ק collapse without knowing םיִפוּשֲׂח , םיִפְלַּקְתִמ ִלְבּ י תַעַדָל .what this wonder is וּהַמ ֶפַּה אֶל זַּה הֶ . I write in Hebrew, in order to get יִנֲאַו בֵתוֹכּ תיִרְבִע , יֵדְכּ תֶכֶלָל ,lost in my words. Among other things דוּבִּאְל רָבְדִבּ יִ . ןיֵבוּ ראְָשַּׁה , .also finding a little something not ending my steps18 םַגּ אֹצְמִל תָצְק ָיְנִע ן אֹל וּמַּתּ יַדָעְצ . .How great are the paths I plowed הָמ םיִבַּ ר ִליִבְשַּׁה םי רָחֶשׁ יִתְּשַׁ . Engraved in my hands. My feet and hands are yet to וּתְרְחֶנ יַדָיְבּ . דוֹע אָשֶּׂא תֶא find their way19. And I will meet a lot יַלְגַר םִיַדָיַּבּ . שֹׁגְּפֶאְו הֵבְּרַהְבּ .of people. And I will make all of them my friends םיִשָׁנֲא . ו םָלֻּכְ הֶשֱׂעֶא י יַדיִדְ . ?Who is a foreigner? Who is far and near וּהיִמ רָ ז ? יִמ קוֹחָ ר ו בוֹרָקְ ? .There is no foreignness in the vanities of the world יּאַ ֵ ן תוּרָ ז ֵלְבַהְבּ י לוֹעָ ה םָ . ,Because foreignness, for most ִכּ י תוּרָז , לַע יִפּ בֹר , .is in a person’s heart שֵׁי בֵלְבּ םָדאָָה .

Translated by Reuven Greenvald.

16 An expression found in the Midrash. Meaning to walk with a small stride, to walk with measured steps. 17 Translated literally, “the house of the chest.” 18 Perhaps playing off the Psalmist’s words, “expand my steps under me” (Ps. 18:37). אשיו בקעי ) ”He’s combining two expressions from classical Hebrew literature: 1) “and Jacob raised up his feet 19 which is translated, “Jacob resumed his journey” (Genesis 29:1) and 2) a Talmudic expression, “he doesn’t ( לגר י ו ג translated as “he got lost” or “got confused” (see Talmud Yevamot ,( אל אצמ י ד י ו ו גר ל י ו ) ”find his hands and feet 77b).

8 אבא ג ם My father also

אָבּאְַל יִלֶּשׁ ,My father דָלוֹנֶּשׁ דַרוֹמְבּ רָהָה who was born on a hillside טיִבִּהְו לַע םַגֲאָה , ,and looked at the lake20 ֹל א יָה הָ רַ דּ ןוֹכְּ לוֹעֵ מ ָ ם . .never had a passport וּלִּפֲאַו אֹל תַדוּעְתּ רָבֲעַמ . .And not even a travel document אוּה הָצָח תֶ א ֶ ה ָה ִ ר םי He crossed the mountains רֶשֲׁאַכּ תוֹלוּבְגַּה אֹל רָז וּמְ .when the borders didn’t flow in the river רָהָנַּבּ . My father אָבּאְַל יִלֶּשׁ .didn’t have a passport in the world21 ֹל א יָה הָ רַ דּ ןוֹכְּ לוֹעָ בּ ָ ם . Not because he didn’t have ֹל א ֵנְפִּמ י ֹלֶּשׁ א יָה הָתְ וֹל .a land and a stamp22 רֶא ץֶ ו םָתוֹחְ . But because the land קַר יֵנְפִּמ ץֶראָָהֶשׁ always nestled itself23 comfortably דיִמָתּ הָנְכָשׁ הָּל םָשׁ תַחָנְבּ .in the palms of his hands תוֹפַּכְבּ י ויָדָ . and just as the land never slipped away כוּ ְ וֹמ הֶשׁ ראָָ ץֶ ֹל א ָ ח ְמ הָ ק from his hands ever יִּמ ויָדָ ףאַ םַעַפּ ,and traveled across the sea הָעְסָנְו לֵא רֶבֵעֵמ םָיַּל , .my father also בּאַ ָ א – םַגּ .

Translated by Reuven Greenvald.

20 Sea of Galilee is called in Arabic, Buḥayret Ṭabariyyā, “Lake Tiberias.” In Hebrew it is called, Yam Kinneret, “Kinneret Sea.” 21 In Hebrew, the word olam can mean “eternity” or “world.” This line is playing with the previous line, “never had a passport” – “never” = me-olam (“for-ever”) and in this line “in the world” = ba-olam. 22 As in an official stamp on passport or other travel documents. 23 Lit., “to let itself dwell.”

9 ךרדה וטמל הל The Way to Metula24

רָשְׁפֶא ִגַּהְל ַעי הָלוּטְמִל לָכִּמ One can get to Metula from many ֵניִמ י ִכּ ִנוּוּ םי . לָכּ ֵליִבְשׁ י ןוּפָצַּה different directions. All northern paths בוֹמ ִ לי ִ םי לאַ רָהָה אָשִּׂנַּה ִ ע ָ דּ נ ִ םי lead to the mountain rising eons לַע יֵבַּגּ תוֹנוֹרְכִז םיִנָבְל , לַע יֵבַּגּ atop white memories, atop תוֹנוֹרְכִז םיִרֳפִּצ וּרְשָׁנֶּשׁ םִיַמָשִּׁמ memories of birds which fell from the thundering עוֹר ֲ ִמ םי . ןֵה ָ ח תוֹג ִ ע ם ָ ה חוּר ַ sky. They circle with the mischievous wind תֶבֶבוֹשַּׁה ֵלֲעַכּ י ִנָנֲע םי . תוֹפֲחוֹר over the clouds. Floating between ֵבּ ןי יַּה םָ לוֹדָגַּה רָבְּדִמַּל חַמָצֶּשׁ the Great Sea25 and the desert that sprouted לַע רָפָע חַמָצֶּשׁ לַע םֶצֶעָה הָשְׁבָיֶּשׁ on the dust of the bone that dried ןוֹזֲחַבּ םיִאיִבְנ . תוֹשְׂפַּחְמ תַצְק in the vision of the prophets26. Searching for a ַחוֹנָמ עַסַּמִּמ יֵמוּחִנ ִלֵבֲא םי . little rest from the journey of comforting תוֹתֲחוֹנ ַ ע ל לֶבֶחַה מַּ ה ַחוּתָ .mourners רָתיֵמְכּ לַכָשֶּׁשׁ ִנוּגְנ םי . ןיֵבּ Landing on the tight string27 ןוּפָצ רְמ קָחֻ ו בוֹרָקְ , םוֹרָדַּל like a chord bereaved of melodies. Between a ַחוּשָׁמַּה ַניֵעָבּ םִי וֹמְכּ distant and near north, to the south יֵרְדֶע םיִעוּגְּעַגּ . anointed in the eyes like longing flocks. רָשְׁפֶא ִגַּהְל ַעי הָלוּטְמִל לָכְבּ ֵניִמ י ִכָרְדּ םי . ו םָלוּאְ , One can get to Metula ִליִבְשִׁבּ םי ִלְתַּפְּתִמ םי בֵאְכִּמ , ,From all different ways. But יֶ ְשׁנָהּ ֶדּ ֶרךְ ְמ ִהי ָרה לְ ַה ִגּי ַע ,in the paths that twist in pain לִ ְמטוּלָה. זוֹ ַה ֶדּ ֶרךְ ַהנִּ ְמ ַתּ ַחת there is a fast way to get ִמן ַהשּׁוֹ ָבךְ ֶשׁ ַבּלֵּב, בּוֹ ָגּ ַדלְ ִתּי to Metula. This is the way that is stretched out ֵתְּשׁ י ִנוֹי םי . from the cote that is in the heart, where I raised two doves.

Translated by Reuven Greenvald

24 An Israeli town on the border with Lebanon. The origin of the town's name is Arabic: al-Muṭallah, lit. 'the lookout'. Throughout the 19th century it was a Druze village. During the Druze revolt of 1895, the land was sold by its owner, a Christian Greek diplomat living in Sidon, Lebanon for the establishment of a Jewish settlement.

25 The Mediterranean Sea. 26 Referring to the Ezekiel 37, the vision of the dry bones, in which the prophet tells of a return from the exile back to the Land of Israel. 27 A play on words with an expression equivalent to saying “someone is tightly wound.”

10

11