by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
Translation © by Grant Hicks

Le tombeau d'Antar
Language: French (Français)  after the Arabic (العربية) 
Our translations:  ENG
Nul ne sait où repose Antar,
l'époux de la Victoire. 
Nul ne sait où sont maintenant suspendues ses armes. 
Sur la plus haute dune du Badiet-Es-Cham, 
son sépulcre, environné d'azur, 
sert-il de repaire à l'aigle, ou bien, dans El Djezireh, 
la contrée aux belles eaux, 
son mausolée est-il enfoui sous les fleurs ? 
Les récitants qui racontent ses exploits 
et qui suivent les caravanes,
cherchent peut-être son tombeau.
Une nuit, en rêve, je l'ai vu. 
Il était dans la plaine d'Oneïssa, 
non loin de la demeure d'Abla. 
Et, pareil à un étendard, un palmier, seul, le désignait.

Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, Le jardin des caresses, 73e édition, Paris: L'édition d'art H. Piazza, 1921, p.68.


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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Antar's Tomb", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Grant Hicks [Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-14
Line count: 15
Word count: 96

Antar's Tomb
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
No one knows where Antar lies, 
the husband of Victory. 
No one knows where his arms now are hung. 
On the highest dune of Badiet-Es-Cham, 
does his sepulcher, enveloped in azure, 
serve as an eagle's aerie, or else, in El Djezireh, 
the land of beautiful waters, 
is his mausoleum buried beneath the flowers? 
The storytellers who recount his exploits
and who follow the caravans 
perhaps are looking for his tomb.
One night I saw it in a dream.
It was on the plain of Oneïssa,
not far from Abla's dwelling.
And, like a flag, a lone palm was its sign.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2026-02-28
Line count: 15
Word count: 100