In some elegies, absence is not an event that is narrated, but rather a void that is seen, heard, and felt in the details of daily life. When the sweet poet Muhammad Al-Qarni writes about the late artist Abdullah Al-Qarni, he is not only lamenting an artistic voice or a creative experience, but rather recalling a part of his personal memory, and a part of his human formation, which was formed in a company that extended between dreams, beginnings, success, and deep affection.
In this sad piece that the poet Muhammad al-Qarni dedicated to “Okaz,” the poet did not surround himself with poetic templates, but rather opened wider paths for his pen to write in a style that does not belong to traditional lamentation that enumerates virtues and reviews biography, but rather seeks to restore companionship as a small homeland that has lost one of its pillars. Therefore, intimate details take precedence over facts, and the room, the street, the door, and the song become living evidence of the presence of the deceased, while the simple question becomes: “Abdullah… why don’t you respond?” To a painful cry that reduces the astonishment of loss and the soul’s inability to believe.
**
Abdullah… Why don’t you reply???
I would get upset.. I would get angry if he responded.. It was our first meeting after the Gulf..
(It is impossible for you to be the one I loved for a long time..)
The last meeting was:
Oh heart, oh the one who is hovering in the bowels..
Say hello to the one.. No sniping is right..
**
We lived in two rooms after his success in the Gulf and the Arabian Gulf… in Riyadh for months…
In Al Malqa apartment..
And he sang:
((We waited while we were in Al-Malqa..
And others.. I swear we will not find..
So are you… our beloved ones… if you are gone, we will be miserable.)
….
After the joy of the Gulf… my heart calmed down… then I was surprised that it calmed my mind…
Then he stepped aside and my imagination settled.
*
Abdullah is part of the light of the history of Muhammad Al-Qarni..
Abdullah is part of Muhammad Al-Qarni’s culture..
Abdullah.. an authentic part of lavish generosity..
…
I am in Cairo..
Change the entity of Al-Intisar Street in (Al-Aqiq Neighborhood)
I am in Riyadh..
Change the entity of my heart rhythms..
He was a quietly crazy man.
….
I know that he wanted to change everything that affected his thinking.
In the shortest time..
He wanted to destroy all barriers and start again.
Such are the sane madmen.
He was young…but he was big in his ambitions…
***
Abdullah, the elegant and calm, is full of colors… of rhythms… of cultures… of musical civilizations… full of southern music to the brim…
Love is embedded in his genes… and his soul…
And in (his heart)
Who could not comprehend the torrents of passion and love…
Abdullah..
I see the place..
I see the door..
I watch the street..
I don’t see anything..
Just see you..
**
I will not forget you in my prayers..
And do not forget me while you are in heaven (God willing)
*
Muhammad Al-Qarni
In some elegies, absence is not a story to be told, but a void that is seen, heard, and felt in the details of daily life. And when the sweet poet Muhammad Al-Qarni writes about the late artist Abdullah Al-Qarni, he is not merely lamenting an artistic voice or a creative experience, but he is invoking a part of his personal memory and a piece of his human formation that was shaped in companionship that spanned between dreams, beginnings, success, and deep affection.
In this sorrowful piece that poet Muhammad Al-Qarni dedicated to “Okaz,” he did not confine himself to the molds of poetry but opened up broader paths for his pen to write in a style that does not belong to traditional elegy, which enumerates virtues and recounts biographies. Instead, it rises on the recovery of companionship as a small homeland that has lost one of its pillars. Therefore, intimate details take precedence over events, and the room, the street, the door, and the song become living witnesses to the presence of the deceased, while the simple question: “Abdullah… why don’t you respond?” transforms into a painful cry that encapsulates the astonishment of loss and the soul’s inability to believe.
**
Abdullah… why don’t you respond???
I used to get upset… I used to get angry if you didn’t respond… our first meeting after the Gulf…
(It’s impossible that you are the one… whom I loved long ago…)
And the last meeting:
O heart, you who hover in the depths…
Say hello to the one… who didn’t shoot straight…
**
We lived in two rooms after his success in the Gulf and the Arabian Gulf… in Riyadh for months…
In Al-Malqa apartment…
And he sang:
((We waited while we were in Al-Malqa…
And no one else… by God, we won’t find…
This is how you are… our loved ones… when you are absent, we suffer…))
….
After the joy of the Gulf… he settled in my heart… then I was surprised that he settled in my mind…
Then he took a side and settled in my imagination…
*
Abdullah is part of the light of Muhammad Al-Qarni’s history…
Abdullah is part of Muhammad Al-Qarni’s culture…
Abdullah… an integral part of lavish generosity…
…
And while I am in Cairo…
He changed the essence of Al-Intisar Street in (Al-Aqiq neighborhood)
And while I am in Riyadh…
He changed the essence of the rhythms of my heart…
He was a quietly mad man…
….
I know he wanted to change everything that touched his thoughts…
In the shortest time…
He wanted to blow up all barriers… and start new…
This is how the sane madmen are…
He was young… but he was great in his ambitions…
***
Abdullah, the elegant, calm one, filled with colors… with rhythms… with cultures… with musical civilizations… filled with Southern music to the brim…
And love is infused in his genes… and his sighs…
And in his (heart)
which could not contain the floods of passion and love…
Abdullah…
I see the place…
I see the door…
I see the street…
I see nothing…
Only I see you…
**
I will not forget you in my prayers…
And do not forget me while you are in paradise (God willing)
*
Muhammad Al-Qarni
