Palestinian Poetry Blogging
We Went To Aden
We went to Aden ahead of our dreams. The moon was shining
on the wings of a crow. We gazed at the sea.
For whom does the sea toll these bells? To let us hear our own rhythms?
We went to Aden in advance of our history. The Yemen was mourning
Imru'al-Qays, erasing images and chewing the qat leaves.
Didn't you realize, friend, that we were following the Caesar of our time?
We went to the poverty-stricken paradise of the fakirs so as to open windows
in the rocks.
We are besieged by tribes, friend, stricken by misfortunes.
Yet we didn't trade the bread of the trees for the enemy's loaf.
Aren't we still entitled to believe in our dreams and to doubt this homeland?
from Fewer Roses (1986) by Mahamoud Darwish
Translated by Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché
We Went To Aden
We went to Aden ahead of our dreams. The moon was shining
on the wings of a crow. We gazed at the sea.
For whom does the sea toll these bells? To let us hear our own rhythms?
We went to Aden in advance of our history. The Yemen was mourning
Imru'al-Qays, erasing images and chewing the qat leaves.
Didn't you realize, friend, that we were following the Caesar of our time?
We went to the poverty-stricken paradise of the fakirs so as to open windows
in the rocks.
We are besieged by tribes, friend, stricken by misfortunes.
Yet we didn't trade the bread of the trees for the enemy's loaf.
Aren't we still entitled to believe in our dreams and to doubt this homeland?
from Fewer Roses (1986) by Mahamoud Darwish
Translated by Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché
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