Inklings from beyond
“Is it possible to master words?
Yes, in silence.”
A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR to The Culturium, Yahia Lababidi is a critically acclaimed Lebanese-Egyptian writer and poet, whose work has been featured across the media and generously endorsed by President Obama’s inaugural poet, Richard Blanco. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize five times, he has also participated in numerous international poetry festivals throughout the world, his writing translated into several languages worldwide.
In a recent article on the site, Yahia offered us his deeply intimate meditations on the nature of the human condition through a compendium of essays, conversations and reviews, titled Revolutions of the Heart. In another, he shared with us his latest volume of mystical poetry, Desert Songs, exquisitely illustrated by the photography of Zakaria Wakrim.
In this month’s post, we feature his latest offering, What Remains to be Said, a collection of new and selected aphorisms from his long and prolific career. Spiritual proclamations at their most succinct and finest, the aphorism itself has a long and dignified past right back to the sutras of Vedic literature. Here, Yahia draws on the wisdom of his forbears but also gives his verse a contemporary twist through his use of wit, simplicity and humour, while still retaining deep and hidden revelations in every single compelling line.
Beautifully produced by Wild Goose Publications (2025) with an engaging preface written by Sven Birkerts, author and editor of literary magazine AGNI, herewith is a selection of graphic memes for inner reflection, each maxim distilling a profound and immediate truth. In an age of meaningless sardonic irony, these “ruminations on mysticism” offer much-needed connection to our higher, transcendental selves.
Post Notes
- Yahia Lababidi, WHAT REMAINS TO BE SAID: New & Selected Aphorisms on YouTube
- Yahia Lababidi on Poets & Writers
- Yahia Lababidi on Twitter
- Yahia Lababidi: Revolutions of the Heart
- Yahia Lababidi: Desert Songs
- Daniel Ladinsky & Marwa Adel: Rumi
- Irina Tweedie: The Daughter of Fire
- Philip Jacobs: Dance of the Dervishes
- Fakhruddin ‘Araqi: Divine Flashes
- Kahlil Gibran: Poet, Painter, Prophet
- Hafiz: The Gift
- AGNI Online
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