Friday, February 16, 2024

What Was Not

by Taha Muhammad Ali [my translation]


We didn’t cry

as we left.

We had no time

no tears

no farewell.

We had no idea

this was goodbye

the goodbye

so how would we have cried?

We didn’t lie awake

(we didn’t sleep)

the night we left.

That night

we had no night

no light

no moon.

That night we lost our star

our lamp.

We didn’t sleep

so how would we wake?


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