{"id":6310,"date":"2011-05-04T07:39:43","date_gmt":"2011-05-04T11:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/?p=6310"},"modified":"2011-05-04T07:39:43","modified_gmt":"2011-05-04T11:39:43","slug":"from-the-diwan-ifrikiya-anthology-assia-djebar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/from-the-diwan-ifrikiya-anthology-assia-djebar\/","title":{"rendered":"from the “Diwan Ifrikiya” anthology: Assia Djebar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Assia Djebar<\/a> \u2014 born in Cherchell in 1936 \u2014 is of\u00a0course\u00a0best known as the major Algerian novelist of her generation (Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade<\/a><\/em>; A Sister to Scheherazade<\/em> and Women of Algiers in their Apartments<\/em>, among others). She was also the first Maghrebi woman to become a member of the Acad\u00e9mie Fran\u00e7aise<\/em>. But as a young writer she also wrote poetry. Here is one of those works,\u00a0written in Rabat in 1960\u00a0& published in Algiers after Algeria gained independence from France in 1962.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

from: POEMS FOR A HAPPY ALGERIA<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Snows in the Djurdjura
\nLark traps in Tikjda
\nPlum tomatoes in the Ouadhias
\nI am being whipped in Azazga
\nA young goat gambols in the Hodna
\nHorses flee from Mechria
\nA camel dreams in Ghardaia<\/p>\n

And my sobs in Djemila
\nThe cricket sings in Mansourah
\nA falcon flies over Mascara
\nFire brands in Bou-Hanifia<\/p>\n

No pardon for the Kelaa
\nSycamores in Tipaza
\nA hyena comes out in Mazouna
\nThe hangman sleeps in Miliana<\/p>\n

Soon my death in Zemoura
\nA ewe in Nedroma
\nAnd a friend near Oudja
\nNight cries in Maghnia<\/p>\n

My agony in Saida
\nThe rope around the neck in Frenda
\nOn the knees in Oued-Fodda
\nOn the gravel of Djelfa<\/p>\n

Prey of the wolves in M’sila
\nBeauty of jasmine in Kolea
\nGarden roses of\u00a0 Blida
\nOn the road to Mouzaia<\/p>\n

I\u2019m dying of hunger in Medea
\nA dry river in Chellala
\nA dark curse in Medjana
\nA sip of water in Bou-Saada<\/p>\n

And my tomb in the Sahara
\nThen the alarm sounds in Tebessa
\nEyes without tears in Mila
\nWhat a racket in Ain-Sefra<\/p>\n

They take up arms in Guelma
\nA shiny day in Khenchla
\nAn assassination in Biskra
\nSoldiers in the Nementcha<\/p>\n

Last battle in Batna
\nSnows on the Djurdjura
\nLark traps in Tikjda
\nPlum tomatoes in the Ouadhias<\/p>\n

A festive mood in the heart of\u00a0 d’El Djazira<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[translated by P.J.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Assia Djebar \u2014 born in Cherchell in 1936 \u2014 is of\u00a0course\u00a0best known as the major Algerian novelist of her generation (Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade; A Sister to Scheherazade and Women of Algiers in their...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[849,830,91,103],"tags":[173],"class_list":["post-6310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-algeria","category-poet","category-poetry","category-translation","tag-assia-djebar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6310"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6316,"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6310\/revisions\/6316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierrejoris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}