Samih al-Qasim and the language of revolution
I’ve gone to meet renowned Palestinian Arab Druze poet Samih al-Qasim in his home in the Galilee village of Rama. Perched on a hillside, his home overlooks the valley below, which is known by locals as the “sea of olives”.
When I walk into his room, Qasim, dressed in a dressing gown and familiar red scarf, stands and greets me. “Ahlan wa Sahlan,” (“You are welcome”) he says to me in Arabic. My previous meeting with the poet was cancelled; he was diagnosed with cancer some time ago and often needs time to recover after rounds of treatment. Today Qasim is feeling in improved health and I’m in luck; I have been accompanied to the poet’s home by Dr Nazih Kassis, a translator and lexicographer, and long-time friend of Qasim.