WRITTEN BY THE LEBANESE-BRAZILIAN POET AND TRANSLATOR: TAGHRID BOU MERHI©️
The poetic experience of Iris Calif, the writer, poet, and translator, is one of the most profound and symbolically rich, combining love, body, and soul within a comprehensive poetic vision that merges philosophy, existence, and the human self. This is clearly evident in her poems “The Iris Flower of Your Heart” and “Crown of Life”, where the poet creates poetic worlds that go beyond the traditional concept of beauty to an inner spiritual level that interacts with human experience in all its details, from pain and internal struggle to love and spiritual ecstasy.
These poems are distinguished by a free-form lyrical and prose-like style, unbound by traditional rhyme schemes, in which mystical symbolism intertwines with natural and imaginary imagery to create a powerful, renewed, and influential poetic language. In “The Iris Flower of Your Heart”, the physical and spiritual descriptions blend seamlessly, as the poet expresses love and emotional depth through the image of the iris flower, a symbol of beauty, purity, and spirituality. She employs elements of nature such as wind, moon, and sun to reflect her inner state and allow the reader to experience moments of openness to self and the other. Her use of terms like “the naked ballerina” and “the living iris flower of heaven” demonstrates her ability to fuse the spiritual and physical body in a single poetic experience, setting her poetry apart from traditional styles that often limit themselves to describing external beauty or mere emotional feelings.
In her poem “Crown of Life”, the philosophical and existential dimensions become even more pronounced, as the poet places the human body and soul in confrontation with death, life, and love. This poem reflects a deeply personal experience, especially with references to overcoming anorexia, lending the text a sense of triumph over the self and liberation from physical and psychological constraints. The poem can be seen as an introspective study of the human soul, in which the poet communicates simultaneously with the elements of life and death, creating an emotional tension that blends sorrow, joy, and the desire to live. The language is rich in symbolism and capable of fragmenting the sense of temporal experience, through images like “the living mountain of my broken soul” and “the human iris flower,” which embody both pain and healing.
The nature of Iris Calif’s poetry can be described as modern mystical poetry, where symbolism is used intensively to express deep human emotions, and imagery is employed to highlight the internal relationships between body, soul, nature, and the universe. Comparing her style with other global poets, one finds similarities in certain elements with poets such as Sylvia Plath and Maya Angelou, in their openness to self, psychological struggle, and search for life’s meaning through pain. Likewise, there is an affinity with classical mystical poets such as Jalaluddin Rumi regarding the use of natural symbolism to convey beauty and spirituality. However, Iris differs in her bold fusion of body, soul, and personal struggle in a direct and explicit manner, making the reader feel intimately part of her sensory and emotional experience.
Analyzing these two texts shows that Iris’s poetry goes beyond merely describing external beauty to exploring the human psyche and confronting existence, transforming personal pain into spiritual and poetic power. In “The Iris Flower of Your Heart”, the focus is on love and interaction with the other through the symbolism of the flower and dance, prompting the reader to reflect on the relationship between self and other, and human and spiritual beauty. In “Crown of Life”, the emphasis is on deep personal experience with pain, death, and life, transforming individual experience into a universal poetic message that urges the reader to contemplate the meaning of life and the overcoming of adversity. Both texts employ recurrent auditory and symbolic repetition, whether in natural imagery or words associated with body and soul, giving the texts an internal musical rhythm that connects line to line, making the reading experience more meditative than purely literary.
A prominent feature of Iris’s poetry is her ability to depict the body as a spiritual symbol connected to human existence. Dance, flowers, tears, and air, all these physical elements transform in her texts into symbols of life, love, purity, and freedom. In this approach, her poems become spaces for celebrating life despite pain and suffering, prompting readers to reconsider the relationship between soul and body, individuality and universality, life and death. This positions her among a generation of poets seeking to transcend traditional poetic forms, offering a rich philosophical and emotional experience that connects directly to the reader’s inner self.
Moreover, her poems are characterized by emotional transparency, mystical sincerity, and the use of language as a tool to reveal the full scope of human experience, through love, pain, spiritual ecstasy, and triumph over adversity. This makes reading her work a meditative experience, where each poetic image stimulates imagination and provokes existential questions about life, death, beauty, love, and the relationship between humanity and the cosmos. In this regard, Iris Calif’s poems intersect with contemporary literary works that focus on exploring the human psyche and spirituality, yet they stand out for their direct boldness, vivid bodily imagery, and use of difficult personal experience as a poetic foundation, enhancing the authenticity and depth of their impact.
In terms of artistic structure, the texts follow a free verse style, liberated from the constraints of traditional meter and rhyme. This allows the poet to move freely between different images, between the sensual and the spiritual, and between body and soul. This freedom gives the reader the opportunity to fully immerse in the poetic text, becoming not merely a passive observer but a partner in the emotional experience the poet presents. This type of free and symbolic poetry, focusing on internal self and existential experience, situates Iris within modern contemporary poetry that seeks to merge thought with art, and emotions with profound meanings.
Reading these poems compels us to pause before fundamental questions about the true meaning of life, existence, beauty, love, and the human struggle with the self. The experiences expressed by the poet, whether overcoming illness or confronting spiritual and physical challenges, reflect poetry’s capacity to function as a meditative and philosophical tool, encouraging readers to view themselves and the world with greater depth and awareness. The texts also raise questions about the relationship between suffering and spiritual growth, and how liberation from physical and psychological constraints can transform into creative power, giving life renewed meaning.
These texts also allow us to contemplate the nature of human and spiritual beauty, where the body becomes a symbol of the complete experience, and the soul a mirror of life, death, and love. Through natural symbolism: flowers, moon, and wind, the poet transports the reader into an inner world where the human self- intersects with the universe, evoking a sense of freedom, renewal, and deep connection with all living things. This fusion of natural symbolism, physical imagery, and spirituality is what distinguishes Iris’s poetry and gives it its unique character.
Furthermore, it can be said that Iris Calif’s poems encourage reflection on life’s greatest questions: life and death, pain and joy, and the role of humans in facing challenges and transforming them into spiritual and creative strength. Her personal experience overcoming illness and breaking free from physical and psychological constraints lends authenticity and emotional weight to the texts, giving them a philosophical depth that stimulates reflection on human destiny and the path of existence. This makes her poems not just beautiful works of art but tools for spiritual and intellectual contemplation, inviting readers to confront themselves and explore their inner depths.
Iris Calif’s poetry represents a comprehensive journey of soul and body, blending deep personal experience, natural symbolism, and free poetic language to offer philosophical and spiritual texts rich in meaning. These poems open doors to contemplation on love, life, death, and beauty, prompting reflection on our existence, our role in confronting life’s challenges, and how personal suffering can be transformed into a source of strength and creativity. They also invite reflection on the relationship between body and soul, and how a human being can find their true self and overcome adversity through poetry, love, and contemplation.
It is my pleasure, as the Lebanese-Brazilian poet and translator Taghrid Bou Merhi, to write an analytical study of these two poems by Iris Calif, which represent a unique model of modern poetry combining boldness, symbolism, philosophical reflection, and triumph over self. Her texts provide a rich resource for studying the relationship between poetry, life, and the human spirit. Reading these two works offers a meditative experience on beauty, love, and suffering, and on the human capacity to transform personal experience into poetic material that enlightens minds and hearts, prompting profound reflection on the meaning of life and our relationships with others and the world around us.
TAGHRID BOU MERHI©️
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IRIS CALI: This analytical, unique, and valuable study will be presented in my forthcoming fourth book, alongside essays by literary critics from Israel and international literary critics from around the world.
Taghrid Bou Merhi – Lebanon Brazil
She is a Lebanese poetess, writer, and translator living in Brazil. She holds a Law degree and is advisor to the International Union of Arab Intellectuals, in the Media Authority for Translation Affairs and advisor to the countries Al-Sham literary platform for literary translation.She IS advisor to the International Federation of Arab Intellectuals, in the Media Authority for Translation Affairs. She IS ambassador of Lebanon in the Fellowship of Creativity and International Science Humanities, England-London. She is ambassador of the team “International Cultural Salon Association”and ambassador of Brazil in the American P.L.O.T.S. Magazin and ambassador of Lebanon in the Association of the World Union of Writers and Artists UMEA Portugal . Member of prestigious platform Of WWWU World Nations Writers’ Union Kazakhstan.Editor of Al-Arabe Today, Rainbow, Literária Agharid, Al-Nil Walfurat, Literária and Allaylak Magazine.Fluent in Arabic (native language), French, English, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish She won the Nizar Sartawi International Translator Award for Creativity 2021 in the field of translation and literature.She won the 2nd Annual Zhengxin International Poet Award 2022, 2023. She hon received the World Prize Prestigious “RAHIM KARIM WORLD PRIZE”.
She hon received the recognition from Greece Delphi (Elaiko Bpabeio), where the celebration of Peace.
Her poems have been published in numerous international anthologies،various Literary magazines,journals and websites.Her poems have been translated into more than 36 languages.As of May 30, 2023, she translated 14 books.Author of 15 books
ID Facebook: Taghrid BouMerh
THE IRIS FLOWER OF YOUR HEART -IRIS CALIF – ISRAEL
My beloved
In the crown of the Iris heart flower of heaven,
I am dripping a golden- painted dawn into your eyes,
The prayer of the holy sun rain land, silenced her voice,
The hidden wind blows; the secrets of my wild moon dance
I remove the essence of the clothing of my Iris flower soul
in front of the halo river rock of your body.
I am the naked ballerina, The living Iris flower of heaven,
dancing your living Iris heart
My wet lips whispering to the purity of the human beauty darkness of the Night of the loving;
Breath
Tonight
I am dripping,
The Iris flower of Your heart
All rights reserved to Iris Calif©️
CROWN OF LIFE –IRIS CALIF
My body is carried as heaven worlds, kneels his spirit in front of the Wings of the land of death, the land of living and the land of love
And I am the human flower Iris draping my tears in the stone of death in Front of the living Grace Mountain of my purified broken soul that blowing her breaths in my Piot mysteries prayer of my Iris soul that dreaming to livening;
Dreaming;
A life
Iris; flower of the universe world
A girl, a woman; kneeling to wings of life,
My body; shines and breathes as the light of love and as the light of death’s breath
Anorexia;
The kingdom of the life and death personification:
The kingdom of life within death, in its robe and its incarnation
You the Anorexia;
My spiritual soul friend grasping me,
And breathing me with infinity: Death
My soul, foe my escape from my destruction,
My flogging, my Awe
My dismantle of my faith, my trust my security, my purification
From rain instinct, of my own self, and from human Inclination.
I ask and look at my soul, my grief, my fear, my destruction,
Yet yearning to strength, of feminine power, a pour loving and longing of A girl,
Woman for life within her, a body healthy and sound,
To close my green living eyes, with rain, thunder in the lighting moon,
And the sun of the worlds. my body breathes deeply in my weeping Years.
And in my weeping years, I am dreaming the crown of life
The living dancing vitality that grows and sinks in my body and soul,
And me, the human Iris flower of the creation; a wild pure a velvet flower standing out Healthy
Covering my spirit soul and my naked body in the
Crown of life
All rights reserved to Iris Calif©️
IRIS CALIF-ISRAEL
Iris was born and lives in Israel she is an international writer, poet, dancer, editor and translator of poetry to Hebrew. She is in charge of foreign relations in the online culture, literature, art and poetry magazine “The Direction of the Holy Spirit Wind” (“Bekiovn Hroh”) a translator and an editor of world-wide poetry in the magazine and editor of international anthologies at the magazine, as well as in the culture and lifestyle magazine “Mokasini” and in the “World Poetry” section on the literature website “Rooms” (“Hadarim”). She is also a member of the Composers’ Association of Hebrew authors and publishers in Israel named “ACUM”.
Iris is received of the International Prize for Literature Italy – Milan 2024: ‘CITY OF GALATEO’ Special award for excellence ‘città del Galateo’ in the category of foreign writers from around the world, poetry and fiction on a free topic, for the poem she wrote “Angel of Life”.
Iris received the 2023 award for International Best Poets & POETS:
THE JOURNAL OF RENDITION OF INTERNATIONAL POETRY- IPTRC [Multilingual] CHINA and she was selected- to be one of the “20 Top International Journalists for the year 2024 of Legacy Crown’s” -ASIA. She also holds a diploma from the “Russian Professional Writers Union” and the international magazine “Arina NN”, registered in the Ministry of Culture of Russia, for her contribution to the culture world “International Poetic Community” 2022.
Iris is the head of the Israeli liaison department of the Hong Kong Literature and Arts Magazine and a member of the Association of artists and writers of the World SAPS. She takes part in the editorial board of the World Poetry Yearbook 2024 (English edition) and holds an honorary doctorate from the International Forum for Creativity, Humanity and Coexistence, Kingdom of Morocco.
Iris is a descendant of a lineage of Kabbalists, blessed with the prophecy of the spirit of the heart and the ability of communication and vision, which are expressed in her mystical and Kabbalistic writing, endowed with spiritual touches of holy upper and hidden worlds. For her, it is a blessing to shine with the spirit of the Jewish voice from the depths of love, life, and faith in the creator of the world- our father in heaven
“And as I soar with the flight of my spirit soul, I will carry the holy halo of the light of my Jewish loving voice, in the eternally world of the wings of the Dove of God spirit of the land-living peace”-Iris Calif
Three of Iris’s books have already been published: “In a Mysterious magical path Lolita breathes” (2001), “A Pure Wild moon” (2017), and “The daughter of God” (2020), and she is currently working on her fourth book. Her poems have been published and read on the radio, on television, on the internet, in national and international magazines and newspapers and in anthologies around the world, and were translated by international poets into numerous languages such as Spanish, Bengali, Nepali, Arabic, Chinese, Turkish, Assamese, Russian, Albanian and Italian.
Iris’s poems were presented in many prestigious and international exhibitions in Israel such as “Crowns of Winter” (January 2023), where a poem of hers translated into Bengali was displayed alongside poems by seven international poets, each translated and edited into Hebrew by her. Also, the exhibition “Black-Red-White” displayed Iris’s translated versions of poems written by five international poets. Most recently, Iris’s poems, also translated into Chinese, Italian, Spanish and Arabic, were presented in the universal exhibition “Butterflies of Peace”, which also included the poems of 21 poets from round the world, translated by Iris into Hebrew.
Iris’s poetry reflects the inner journey of her soul, which looks through love, dreams of life and breathes holy and hidden worlds. Her poetry is a symbol and an expression of her victory over anorexia and her courageous decision to choose life and love.
“And in my living Iris soul; Golden Irises of the Blue heaven Sky
And My Spirit; Dances the Living Voice of the Holy God Life” -Iris Calif-©️
The land of my heavenly skies of my poetic worlds in the wind of the worlds of holy hidden life
My poetry is in the heart of the soul of the heaven land of holy halo wind of light, and in the soul of the heavens and worlds of my created soul, which bows, dances and prays for the nature of life of God and illustrates my longings to the journey of worlds of wind, love, life, holiness and the hidden from the depth of the flame of the storm. From desire, light, pain, fracture, loneliness, fear, hope, purity, femininity, motherhood and the eternal “Woman a girl” that breathes in me eternal worlds of holy hidden life-IRIS CALIF
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