Nazih Abou Afach Biography
Nazih Abou Afach is unfortunately unable to attend the festival in person. Nonetheless, his poetry will be featured at selected events.
Nazih Abou Afach is a renowned Syrian poet, painter and musician. He was born in Marmarita, a village in the West of Syria in the Wadi Al-Nasaarah (‘Valley of the Christians’), in 1946. He lived for a time in Damascus, but returned to live in Marmarita a few years ago. He has worked in education, journalism and the civil service and is a member of the Syrian Writers’ Union.
His poetry is well known in the Arab world and beyond and his work – poetry and prose – has been extensively published since 1967 in Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus. Some of his writing has been translated into English and French.
Abou Afach’s collections include Al-Wajhu Illithi La Yaghiibu (The Face Which Does Not Fade; 1967), Allah Qariibun Min Qalbi (God Is Near My Heart; 1980) and Maa Yashbahu Kalaaman Akhiiran (What Resembles Talk Lately; 1997).
Think of pain
As Michelangelo thinks of the rock's suffering
Think of pain.
Think of the boredom of the worm, the soil's virgin
...
Never, never,
I'm not a brother, friend, life partner.
Never, never . . .
You're not my brother, my friend, my life partner.
...
The dead multiplied and the soil was fed.
While we said to them: "You righteous servants, don't die all on one side!"
While we said to them: "Think of the soil's power!"
...
It is not because I'm scared, nor pessimistic, nor have a coward's heart,
But, whenever I'm forced into a war
I think about it this way:
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2/22/2026 9:32:22 AM # 1.0.0
