Since I was writing for Amel Brahim-Djelloul (an Algerian soprano), and at the request of Sébastien Boin, artistic director of Ensemble C Barré, I chose for these melodies poems written by Arab women; some in Arabic, others in English (which I arranged in French translation). Despite their different origins (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine), the poets Fawziyya Abu Khalid, Pauline Kaldas and Asmaa’ Azaizeh have in common that they have studied and worked at prestigious universities. They are known for having defended women’s rights, and their writing reveals a touch of insolence, without which they would not have been able to establish themselves as authors: when Fawziyya Abu Khalid declares that she teaches her mother stubbornness and malice, she subverts both vertical teaching (mother-child) and obedience (especially to men).

I’ve entitled the cycle Mi-rages to highlight the two red threads that run through the poems: the vocabulary associated with water, and an insistent demand for justice that never verges on rage, but is inflaming with righteousness. Few of the poems are presented in their entirety; rather, they are excerpts woven into a six-part fresco (where themes, both musical and poetic, appear and disappear). The voice often stays close to the words, but also indulges in rhythms from an undefined folklore (with Arab-Spanish features). As I cannot read Arabic, I relied on transliterations and readings patiently recorded by conductor and composer Amine Soufari.

The writing of this piece coincided with attacks by the Israeli army in Gaza; according to the UN agency UNRWA, more than 10,000 Palestinian women died between October 2023 and April 2024. My thoughts are with them.

Mikel Urquiza