And the marble, so bare, so white, not waiting for the statue.
Yannis Ritsos (1909-99)
From: Yannis Ritsos – Selected Poems
English translation by Nikos Stangos
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
This gallery contains images of calligraphic works by Mustafa Ja’far. They are available for sale as limited-edition prints exclusively from the artist.
Yannis Ritsos (1909-99)
From: Yannis Ritsos – Selected Poems
English translation by Nikos Stangos
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
“Come i poveri povero, mi attacco
come loro a umilianti speranze,
come loro per vivere mi batto
ogni giorno.”
Poor as the poor I cling, like them, to humiliating hopes; like them, each day I nearly kill myself just to live.
From: Le ceneri di Gramsci (The Ashes of Gramsci) 1954
English translation by Norman MacAfee
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
The fire is in the attic of my skull,
the rain in the pupil of my eyes.
Go now, let me see to my death.
English translation by Feyyaz Kayacan Fergar
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Dulce María Loynaz, Cuban poet (1902-1997)
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
© Mustafa Ja’far 2020 Arabigraphy.comMartin Luther King Jr (1929-1968)
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
© Mustafa Ja’far 2020 Arabigraphy.comAbdellatif Laâbi (Moroccan-French poet, 1942)
Ouvrons l’œil du cœur! [extrait]
One day we will have to apologize to the earth
and withdraw on the tips of our toes.
English translation by Patrick Lennon
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Proverb
© Mustafa Ja'far 2020 Arabigraphy.comA verse by Egyptian poet Amal Dounqul (1940-1983)
This calligraphy work is addressing those who gathered in a Bahrain hotel trumpeting their pathetic “deal of the century”.
English translation by Mustafa Ja’far
A verse by Syrian poet Adonis (1930-)
This calligraphy work is dedicated to the Palestinian women in besieged Gaza.
English translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Talat Sait Halman (1931-2014)
English translation by Talat Sait Halman
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Ahmed Shawqi (1868-1932)
Dedicated to Syria
Orhan Veli (1914-1950)
English translation by Fayyaz Kayacan Fergar
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca (1914-2008)
Dedicated to the hungry people of Yemen.
English translation by Talat Sait Halman
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
The blood of the children was seen in the streets, flowing easily out, in the habit of children.
Dedicated to the innocent children of Yemen.
English translation by Ben Belitt
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
English translation by Adam Feinstien
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Refik Durbaş (1944-2018)
English translation by Feyyaz Kayacan Fergar
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963)
Lines 2 and 11 from a poem entitled The Walnut Tree.
English translation by Richard McKane
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Abbas Kiarostami (1940-2016)
English translation by Karim Emami and Michael Beard
Arabic translation by Maher Jammu
Hafiz Shirazi (1325-1389)
In memory of my brother KJ who was buried at Cimitero Flaminio, north Rome in 1996.
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Rigveda 1-89
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
From: Motto To The Svendborg Poems.
English translation by John Willett
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
Come and see the blood in the streets, come and see, the blood in the streets, come and see the blood, in the streets.
This large calligraphy piece is dedicated to the memory of all innocent victims of terrorism around the world.
English translation by Nathaniel Tarn
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970)
Who knows what other horrors the coming years might bring me, but I feel you by my side, consoling me.
In memory of my mother.
English and Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1.
Arabic translation by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
Giosue Carducci (1835-1907)
You are in the cold earth, you are in the black earth, nor does the sun any longer delight, nor can love wake you.
Calligraphy compositions of the last four verses of Pianto Antico (ancient lament) with the hand written Arabic translation.
English translation by George Kay
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Salvatore Quasimodo (1901-1968)
Each one stands alone on the heart of the earth, pierced through by a ray of sunlight: and in no time it’s evening.
English translation by George Kay
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
This homage to Shiraz is dedicated to Nasrin.
Arabic text inspired by Sa’adi Shirazi (1210-1291)
Eugenio Montale (1896-1981)
Bring me the sunflower maddened with light.
Celebrating 40 years of love for Rome.
English translation by George Kay
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
From the Sanskrit tradition.
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Abu Tammam (d.846)
Inspired by events in Syria, 2011.
Cemal Sureya (1931-1990)
The day of the coming of freedom: on that day it is forbidden to die.
English translation by Feyyaz Kayacan Fergar
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Antonio Porchia (1886-1968)
Near me nothing but distances.
English translation by W.S. Merwin
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273)
In memory of my father.
English translation by Coleman Barks
Arabic translation by Mustafa Ja’far
Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970)
Between a flower picked and another gifted, an inexplicable nothingness.
Arabic translation by Adel El-Siwi