mercredi 19 novembre 2014

The Moon Poets, Mauritania Girls


By SEYID OULD SEYID

This is the very real human pain love story in plain poetic expressions that you will never read in romantic book or watch in thrilling movie. It is moving to grasp the essence of flouring cultural habit that is vanishing in the face of technical invasion.

This is the story of Mauritania Arab girls singing out for their hidden love in late evening’s hours under the moon and the stars, hiding out from community eyes. It is the ritual of overwhelming love invading ultimate sprit, without daring to dream of touching dearest lover.



Girls of rural villages are to meet in valleys, dunes or mountains oasis to start the night rhythm by creating their own lyrics in an open competition and fan conversation. Each one has to compose her own loving lyrics. The night bandleader will sing that fresh creation; others will follow her collectively while playing their drums. They made their drums with their rough hands that used to serve both family and entire community during the day domestic labor. Every one of female circle, around the beating drum, has to say - They may not be able to write any word - her poem while keeping the same opening lyrical rhythm until the end of their poetic evening; view minutes before going to bed.

The theme of female sweat verses is nostalgic love. It is forbidden to name your love even among the circle of the same band; the name of romantic lyrics author should never be revealed. Otherwise, girls will lose their freedom of expressions and the prince may be arrogant, if he knows that his charms are inspiring his neighborhood girls.

Platonic content and symbolic codifications are the main characteristics of Mauritania female poets. It is shameful in social traditions to be known as poet praising her love in her own lyrics. Poem is her psychological release to express pressing emotions when she is waking up late, feeling lonely the sufferance of invisible love or the shocks of oblivion in silent desert. Female evening lyrics should goes to public domain as unidentifiable oral poetic creations about secret love of the prince that his shadows and vivid sprits are seen only in nightly dreams.

Here are some lines of female lyrics lacking their resilient natural musicality that is lost in translations as other connotations did. This fault is mine, not female at all. “It is impossible to hate the blue in dry years”.  It obvious to love green beauty especially in dry seasons. Nature is used as symbol of real love; she means her brown man to love by all. The name of her love is her life secret to bury with her in the graveyard. Called it unbelievable, undelivered message .The sender and the receiver have to stay unknown forever in such conservative society. The same goes for the following examples that I have simplified to economize the space of more explanation:

“Be patient my soul, rejoice in pain”
“I open to breath your love breeze “
“As his teeth brush, no army can push me from his smiling lips”
 “How to forget him living in my eyes”
“His smile revives dead bones”
“Kidiss love astonished Nizar and killed Belkiss”
Unreturned night to remember my secret love baber”
“I have to repeat all prayers; I recall him in my prayers”
“Mine travelled West, safe the year travelers to West”
“My soul never forgets his words of evening whispers”

Ancient female poets are descendant of heroic tribes singing the love of unknown heroes. Most of them are even illiterates in a country with long history of various oral traditions that remain to be documented.Modern girl’s lyrics are speaking of their favorite cinema, sports or political stars. It is astonishing that male poets are attracted by princess physical beauty; princess poets are inhaling morals of their loving prince in the nation of million poets.

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