The black madness moment
has arrived. It is characterized by -
Hate, shouting and wind,
wiping out the eyes of dawn.
From the darkness of the cave,
From the fire of the ocean,
It measures the pain of the deep,
It repeats death.
It is not difficult to recognize it:
It is black. Its characteristics are -
Grapevines bathed in blood,
Dawn screams and madness.
(Translated by Wang Rongruo)
Appreciation
Poetry is a clarion call for battle. Many of Dib's poems are full of patriotism, anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, and this poem is just like that. Reading through the whole poem, we can feel the author's fiery blood rushing through this poem. The author uses this song "Crazy Moment" to safeguard the interests of the oppressed nation, safeguard the dignity of the colonial people, resist national oppression and racial discrimination, and express his sincere and noble love for his nation and motherland. It can be said that this poem is a testimony of the poet's genius.
As Cameroonian writer Mengo Bezi said: "The first reality of black Africa, I would even say the only profound reality, is colonialism and all its consequences... Therefore, Writing about black Africa—that is, whether to support colonialism or to oppose colonialism. “Valuable black African literature can only be anti-colonial literature. "Moments of Crazy" was written after World War II. During the period from World War II to the late 1950s and early 1960s, the national democratic revolutionary struggle in black Africa was in full swing. The national liberation movement formed an irresistible historical trend, and the national liberation movement formed an irresistible historical trend. Independent countries sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and it was difficult for the colonialists to find an oasis of stability. Dibb felt this atmosphere of turbulence, restlessness and rebellion. He compared this moment to a "moment of madness". We can understand "madness" from different angles and thus grasp the theme of the poem.
There is a big difference between Dib’s early and late poems. The early poems just lamented the suffering of the nation, while the later ones used blood and fire to accuse the crimes of colonialism and racism; the early poems still contained illusions in their protest. , in the later period, they clearly realized the importance of controlling their own destiny and the power of the people themselves; in the early poetry, they felt confused about the future of Algeria, but in the later period, they were full of confidence and enthusiasm for the struggle; in the early poetry, they just remembered the national heroes in history, and in the later period, It is a tribute to the new advanced figures standing on the front line of the movement. Dibb used "The Crazy Moment" to paint us a powerful and colorful picture of the black African national liberation movement. He used the image of "black" to vividly reproduce the struggle life of the people of black African countries, and used "crazy moments" to reflect the improvement of national consciousness, the progress of national consciousness, the strengthening of national unity, and the growth and development of the national liberation struggle. The poet feels that the moment of revolution has arrived. It has the power to sweep everything away. It is a "black moment of madness". This crazy moment is characterized by: "hate, shouting and wind." It will "give birth to cave dwellers." Darkness, / gives birth to the fire of the ocean.” This crazy moment is an outburst of people's anger, "it measures the pain of the deep sea" and "it repeats death". This moment is an indictment of the blood and tears of the oppressed people. It is a "vine bathed in blood." Therefore, once people awaken, this moment becomes a "madness" for the true dawn.
Of course, perhaps we can also analyze this poem from another angle, thus providing another possibility of interpretation. The "crazy moment" in the poem is described with the dark tone of "black". We can also regard this moment as the desperate struggle and counterattack of the fascists before death, because it is characterized by "hatred, shouting "And the strong wind", this "crazy moment" can even kill the dawn of hope. Once this moment comes, this "madness" will cause fatal threats and killings, and the large-scale "death" scenes like during the "World War II" will once again occur. From this perspective, we can better see the poet's ultimate concern for human beings.
The whole poem is not long, but there is a momentum echoing in it. The sentences are short and concise, the intonation is sonorous, the rhythm is harmonious, and the emotion is full. Especially the appearance of dashes and short sounds in the first and third paragraphs gives the poem a power: it can make the blood of those who read this poem boil and feel the revolution. The enthusiasm and energy of the people prompted the people to contribute their own strength to the liberation of the motherland.
(Dang Xiaolin)