On 13 March 2025, the poet and translator Alaa Alqaisi published “In Praise of What Is No Longer Ours”, in ArabLit Quarterly. She had written the poem in response to Mahmoud Darwish's “مديح الظل العالي,” an excerpt of which has been translated as “In Praise of the High Shadow” by Saifedean Ammous.

Alaa Alqaisi is a Palestinian translator, writer, and researcher from Gaza, deeply passionate about literature, language, and the power of storytelling to bridge cultures and bear witness to lived realities. Her work is extraordinarily profound, and I - like so many others worldwide - think it should be read, taught, and spoken in communities, schools and universities around the world.

On 7 September 2025, people gathered on Solsbury Hill, on the eastern fringes of Bath, Britain, for a vigil (organised by Through The Cracks) for those killed in Gaza since October 2023 - and for those killed and brutalised prior to that, during the many decades of occupation.

The event included a poetry session - during which people stood and read the work of Palestinian poets writing now and in the past, over many centuries. By doing so, we aimed to foreground poetry's place at the heart of Palestine's struggle for freedom, and to reflect on the wonderfully diverse tradition of poetry written within Palestine, within spaces of exile, and across the diaspora, over time. 

We also wanted to explore the tradition of Palestinian poetry written in intertextual dialogue with other poets - those still alive and those who have gone before. 

The poem I chose to read, 'In Praise of What is No Longer Ours', was written by Alaa Alqaisi, in dialogue with Palestine's national poet Mahmoud Darwish. 

This is the recording - recorded spontaneously, on a very windswept hill in England. 

I post it here in honour of the extraordinarily brave citizens of Gaza, and of the uniquely inspiring and profound poets and writers of Gaza - Alaa Alqaisi, Mahmoud Massri, Dr. Ezzideen Shehab, Mohammad Hussein, and so many others. 

With thanks, solidarity, and love to all Palestine's poets, writers, and people, and to ArabLit Quarterly for publishing these extraordinary texts. 

In the face of the extreme colonial violence being inflicted upon Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, we will continue to do what we can to ensure your voices, texts, and stories are heard around the world. 

https://arablit.org/2025/03/13/new-poetry-after-darwish-in-praise-of-what-is-no-longer-ours/ 




250907 Alaa Alqaisi - In Praise of What Is No Longer Ours - A poem in response to Mahmoud Darwish مديح الظل العالي

In memory of Refaat Alareer. 
23 September 1979 - 6 December 2023. 

IF I MUST DIE, LET IT BE A TALE 
BY REFAAT ALAREER

If I must die, 
you must live 
to tell my story 
to sell my things 
to buy a piece of cloth 
and some strings, 
(make it white with a long tail) 
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza 
while looking heaven in the eye 
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze— 
and bid no one farewell 
not even to his flesh 
not even to himself— 
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above 
and thinks for a moment an angel is there 
bringing back love 
If I must die 
let it bring hope 
let it be a tale

فال بد أن تعيش أنت 
رفعت العرعير
إذا كان لا بد أن أموت 
فال بد أن تعيش أنت 
لتروي حكايتي
لتبيع أشيائي
وتشتري قطعة قماش 
وخيوطا
(فلتكن بيضاء وبذيل طويل) 
كي يبصر طفل في مكان ما من ّغّزة 
وهو يح ّّدق في السماء 
منتظرًاً أباه الذي رحل فجأة 
دون أن يودع أحدًاً 
وال حتى لحمه 
أو ذاته
يبصر الطائرة الورقّية 
طائرتي الورقية التي صنعَتها أنت
تحّلق في الأعالي 
ويظ ّّن للحظة أن هناك مالكًاً 
يعيد الحب
إذا كان لا بد أن أموت 
فليأ ِِت موتي باألمل 
فليصبح حكاية
ترجمة سنان أنطون 

Translation by Sinan Antoon

Imogen

Popular tracks