Recently published in Iraq, the book “Where Our Souls Are: Selected Poems 2000 – 2025,” translated into Arabic by writer Hussein Nahaba, offers a comprehensive selection of works by Spanish poet José Sarria. This collection spans twenty-five years of his writing, presenting more than just a literary journey; it serves as a true ethical map of human existence. This anthology has been published by Abjad Translation, Publishing, and Distribution Foundation and includes previously unpublished poems alongside key texts from works such as: Time of Waiting, Book of Waters, Spring of Life, Record of Defeats, Treaty of Impossible Love, and Sefard. This volume allows readers to follow the coherence of a poetic voice that steers clear of superficial experimentation; it views poetry as a means of awareness and responsibility. Sarria’s writings navigate a unique space where memory, landscapes, and identity are interconnected without boundaries. Andalusia, Morocco, the Mediterranean, and Sephardic traditions are not merely cultural backdrops but internal spaces where the self discovers others. In his verses, the South emerges as both an inner homeland and a bridge—a spiritual geography where different religions, languages, and lineages meet. However, this collection is not just a memory; it also proposes a response. In a world fraught with noise and exclusion, Sarria advocates for words as acts of reconciliation. His poems emphasize the necessity of naming for salvation, of looking for understanding, and of celebrating shared fragility. Joy, presented as the central theme in his recent pieces, is not offered as an escape but as a moral resistance, a way to uphold the dignity of life even in harsh conditions. A clear conviction pulsates throughout the book: the other is not a threat but an essential part of ourselves. Thus, his poetry resonates with both the Sufi and humanist traditions in the East and the West, aligning with the teachings of Rumi:
“I am neither a Christian, nor a Jew, nor a Persian, nor a Muslim. I am not from the East, nor from the West, nor from the land, nor from the sea. I have no body and no soul, for I belong to the spirit of the beloved. Two worlds have vanished from my life, and I am left with only dance and celebration… Beyond this place, beyond what is considered right or wrong, there is a field. There we will meet.”
In this way, “Where Our Souls Are” reaffirms José Sarria’s position as a poet who sees writing as a means of caring for the world. His works do not seek instant brilliance but rather a deeper, lasting light, a light that transforms language into an open house, a hospitality, and a shared homeland. In an age of walls, this collection offers something simple and essential: an embrace of poetry as a space for encounter.
