Dear Daughter, — Poem —

Aziz Janal

8 years ago

Hafid Chahidi is a young poet and independent translator from Morocco. He is involved in a two-year (2014-2016) Advanced Translator Training Specialized Master Program at the King Fahd Advanced School of Translation in Tangier, Morocco. He received his B.A degree (majored in Linguistics) from Ibn Zohr University in 2014. He has been involved in various translation projects, especially that of poetry and journalism. A number of his poems are published in various online Magazines and journals. His first collection of poems entitled ‘Nostalgia’ will find its way to publication soon.

Guelmim, Morocco

These words are for you, my dear daughter

From your dear father and mother;

I hope they find you well and sound;

I hope they will make you strong

In the face of any sinister trouble;

Do not let go of your religious principles,

Or give in to the wicked strange scruples;

Please bear it in your dear mind

That the wolves are everywhere,

Lurking in the long darkish shades,

Waiting the right moment to swoop;

Keep in your cherished mind that

Life has become so hazardous and hard,

Full of unexpected deviations;

Please learn that nothing should change you,

Or take you away from the sacred rules;

For you, my daughter, I write these words

To remind you of your duties;

To warn you from the eagle eyes;

To make faith be your partner

In this long short journey of life,

In this miserable lightness of being,

In this merciless barbaric jungle;

My dear daughter…

My time is about to finish,

And yours is about to begin;

I can see the light through your eyes

By which I am walking in this long night;

All my feelings have been so great

Since you first saw light,

Since you uttered your first word

That I cannot forget to date;

Please keep in mind that

Your dad is always there for you

To help and be with you;