The twelve sections of this book resemble the seasonal cycles of people — both close and unknown — living across the vast landscapes of Eurasia and other continents. As you measure minutes, days, and years, you may suddenly discover the magical twenty-fifth hour of inspiration and creativity. In these reflections on the world, harmony, and love, I come to understand — with a pain in my heart — how complex and dramatic the relationship between humans and nature can be. Before the leaves fall and after, on the soil of our roots, lines of poetry are born — lyrics, ballads, and songs — echoing with SOS signals that are picked up by the sensitive ears of those walking the ecological path. Yet, away with despair — and I say: “Until we meet again,” addressing all living things.

Author

Ant Metro: Poems for Children

“To Baghdad”
A poem by Raim Farkhadi
Arabic translation by Ahmed Jassim Al-Zubaidi, 1988

About the Translator

Ahmed Jassim Al-Zubaidi (b. 1954) is an Iraqi journalist, translator, and lecturer.
He received his higher education at Kyiv University, specializing in Russian language and translation studies, and completed professional media training at Abu Dhabi TV and in Beirut.

Over the years, he has collaborated with leading international and Uzbek media outlets and television channels, including Abu Dhabi TV, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Al Alam, Al Mayadeen, as well as the American channel LTC. He is the author of hundreds of publications and television programs devoted to culture, history, and literature, and has regularly participated in informational and analytical broadcasts on Uzbek Television.

In 2006, he became the first foreign journalist to receive Uzbekistan’s highest journalism award, the Golden Pen Prize. He is the recipient of numerous international and academic honors and is the author of books on the Arabic language and translation, as well as many analytical and journalistic articles.

He translated Raim Farkhadi’s poem “To Baghdad” into Arabic in 1988. The poem was written and first recited by the author in Baghdad the same year during a visit to Iraq as part of a Soviet–Iraqi cultural delegation.