ahcene mariche le poète

Preface for Ahcene Mariche’s Nuits Volubiles                                                                  

When I was asked by Ahcene Mariche to write a preface for the English version of his collection of poems, I have immediately accepted not only because I liked his poetry but because I admired the fact that he understood the necessity of crossing borders. Confining one’s poetry in one language, one culture and one country is simply not enough. At the dawn of this new millennium, it is necessary, more than ever, to cross, if not build, bridges to other cultures around the globe. I feel honored in this sense to be part of this crossing that Ahcene is making through his poetry.

A couple of years ago, I have read some of Ahcene Mariche’s poems for a sampling of North African poetry that I have published as a special issue of a poetry review in the United States . The first thing I noticed about his poetry is its universal dimension. The poems in this compilation are not locked in what one may call “provincialism” but deal with universal topics that resonate in each corner of this planet. But these poems are also strong because they are well encroached in their local setting and spring mostly from the poet’s personal experience. It is precisely this constant artistic movement from the particular to the universal, back and forth, that makes Mariche’s poetry interesting. Crudely put, one has to start from the self and reach out abundantly to the other(s) without complex resentment. To me, this seems to be what this poet is set out to do.

The publication of these poems in English will delight English-speaking readers, who can now have access to Mariche’s poetry. But it will also allow the readers-already familiar with his poetry in the other languages- to re-discover them now in English.  Thus, the readers accompany this poet in this journey of discovery. A discovery of words, smells, colors, ideas, thoughts, and feelings across territories. In a sense, poetry transcends society and somehow forces people, especially those endowed with some sensibility, to reach beyond the self and beyond the world.

Ahcene Mariche is not just any poet.  He knows too well not to separate poetry from life. In fact, his inspiration springs from life itself, from his entire experience as a teacher and cameraman, among other talents and passions. A poet is at the heart of the world, listens to it, responds to it, and, even better, sings it. These aspects must not be taken for granted as they nourish the imagination, which the poet, in turn, represents for us in words.

In addition, Ahcene is also carrying the tradition of poetry, passed down to him from his grandfather, who was, so it seems, a renowned poet in his native Kabylia.

Ahcene Mariche’s poetry is also rich in thematic value. His topic of predilection is obviously love, but this does not keep him from writing about such themes as friendship, uncertainty, beauty, fate, hope, peace, and other aspects of life.

At last but not least, it is also important to acknowledge Dalila Ait Salem’s work in translating these poems into English. Any translation of poetry in general is a daunting task. It is even more arduous in this particular case because it is a translation into English. A language that is distant from the original (Kabyle) both culturally and geographically. No reason to delve into this topic here but one must acknowledge that the workings of the language, the images and the nuances are quite dissimilar. Dalila’s efforts to keep the soul of these poems must then be complimented. 

                                                                                                          Nabil Boudraa

                                                                                                          March 2007