Capturing Freedom’s Cry

Capturing Freedom’s Cry—a translation of I’tikal Lahzah Haribah (Capturing a Fleeting Moment), 1979—is a poetry collection written in Beirut by Ghada Samman during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). The poems are set in the violent and destructive environment of this time. They are voiced by female narrators who, in addition to living amid the dangers and horrors of the War itself, engage in a necessary and deeply personal cultural struggle for freedom in a society where patriarchy and oppressive gender roles are the norm. In particular, the female narrators assert their personal power and right to sexual freedom and love. Samman’s advocacy for women’s autonomy and sexual equality, particularly in traditional Arab cultures, is courageous. In exposing the socio-political strife and cultural disparity that oppresses women, Samman demonstrates her conviction that the freedom of the nation and women’s liberation from patriarchal oppression are inseparable.