ⵙⴰⵡⵍ ⴼⵉⵙⵙ
ⵎⵓⵃⴰⵎⵎⴰⴷ ⵎⵓⵙⵜⴰⵡⵉ
ⵉⵙⵓⵖⵍⵜ ⵙ ⵜⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ ⵄⴰⵍⵉ ⵄⴰⴱⴷⵉⴷⴷⵉⵏ ⴷ ⴰⴷⴷⵉ ⴱⵍoⴽ

ⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⵙⴰⵡⵍ ⵏⵏⵉⵖ ⴰⵙⵏ ⵏⵃⴰⵛⴰ ⴰⵡⴰⵍ
ⵓⵔ ⴰ ⵙⵓⵍ ⵉⵙⵙⵎⵖⴰⵢ ⵜⵉⵍⵍⵉ ⵔⵓⴼⴰⵏⵉⵏ
ⵓⵔ ⴽⴽⵉⵙⵏ ⵉⵔⵉⴼⵉ ⴳ ⵉⵅⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵍⴰ ⴰⴽⴰⵍ
ⵍⴰⵥ ⵓⵔ ⵜ ⵉⴽⴽⵉⵙ ⵉⵖ ⴰ ⵏⵙⴰⵡⴰⵍ ⴰⵔ ⵉⵎⴰⵍ
ⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⵙⴰⵡⵍ ⵎⴰ ⴳⴳⵉⴽ ⵏⵔⴰ ⴰⴷ ⵜⵏ ⵏⵉⵙⵙⴰⵏ
ⵙⴰⵡⵍⵖ ⵉⵎⵕⵥⵉⴳ ⵏⵜⵜⵏⵉ ⵔⴰⵏ ⴰⵖ ⵉⵎⵉⵎ
ⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⴼⵉⵙⵙ ⵏⵏⵉⵖ ⴰⵙⵏ ⵏⴽⴽⵉ ⵔⵉⵖ ⴰⵡⴰⵍ
ⵏⵏⵉⵖ ⴰⵙⵏ ⴰⴷ ⵏⴽⵔⵣ ⵓⵔⵜⴰⵏ ⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⵉⵢⵉ ⴼⵉⵙⵙ
ⵉⵔⴰ ⵓⵙⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⴰⴷ ⴳⵉⵙⵏ ⵢⴰⵔⵓ ⴰⵙⵏⵏⴰⵏ
ⴰⵙⵙ ⵏⵏⴰ ⵖ ⴼⵙⵙⴰⵖ ⵎⵉⴷⴷⵏ ⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⵓⵔ ⵉⵔⵉ ⵢⴰⵏ
ⴰⵙⵙ ⵏⵏⴰ ⵖ ⵙⴰⵡⵍⵖ ⵎⵉⴷⴷⵏ ⵏⵏⴰⵏ ⵇⵇⵏ ⵉⵎⵉ ⵏⵏⵓⵏ
ⵙⴰⵡⵍ ⴼⵉⵙⵙ ⵉⴳⴳⵓⵜ ⵎⴰ ⴷ ⴰⵖ ⵜ ⵉⵜⵜⵉⵏⵉⵏ
ⵔⵉⵖ ⴰⴷ ⵙⴰⵡⵍⵖ ⴰⴷ ⵓⵔ ⵉⵔⵉ ⵢⴰⵏ ⴰⵡⴰⵍ
ⵔⵉⵖ ⴰⴷ ⴼⵙⵙⴰⵖ ⵉⵖ ⵓⵔⵜⴰ ⵉⵢⵉ ⵜ ⵉⵏⵏⵉ ⵢⴰⵏ

Speak and Shut Up
Mohamed Moustaoui
Translations by Dr. Ali Abdeddine and Adeli Block

They told me to speak; I told them I’m tired of talking
It no longer quenches the thirst of the parched
It waters neither dry bones nor arid lands    
Hunger will not end even if I speak until next year
They said talk so that we know what we need from you
I talked bitterly, but they only wanted sweet talk
They said be silent, I told them I want to speak
I told them I will cultivate Edens; they told me to shut up
Thorns will breed thorns
When I am silent, people say, “He doesn’t like anybody.”
But when I speak, people say, “Shut your mouth.”
“Speak and shut up,” a lot of people have said to me
I yearn to speak even if no one desires my words
I want to be silent even before someone tells me to be.