Poem
Ramsey Nasr
THE SUBHUMAN AND HIS HABITAT
welcome to the land of milk and honeywhere figalmondapricots grow
unmetaphorically on accommodating trees
eat of them and be my guest today
i’ll pay your taxi to the first roadblock
my father waits behind the second roadblock
he’ll make you his guest of honour too
with oil bread oregano sesame
stars press down upon his roof
sleep there and give him nadir’s love
the day to father is hard but essential
try to find a kid with a barrow
take donkeys or scramble on foot round the cliffs
follow the others keep telling yourself
now we are animals this is permissible
wheelchairs go bouncing through dust
back from the city where they cure the sick
diabetic with cancer in blazing sun
many old, many sick, many sweating animals
but that’s the whole idea
in the day we are sweating climbing animals
because that’s the whole idea
they beat and kick the animals to an end
that one day we will give milk and honey
one day manna will rain from human hands
if this seems insane to you habibi
just think that miles down the road
real girls and boys are sitting nervously
outside starbucks as an act of resistance
uproarious in fear of their lives
© Translation: 2004, David Colmer
DE ONDERMENS EN ZIJN HABITAT
DE ONDERMENS EN ZIJN HABITAT
welkom in het land van melk en honinghier groeien vijgamandelabrikozen
zonder beeldspraak aan gewillige bomen
eet ervan word mijn gast vandaag
ik betaal je taxi naar de eerste blokkade
mijn vader staat achter de tweede blokkade
wees van de nacht ook zijn eregast
met olie brood oregano sesam
bij hem liggen sterren stil op plat dak
slaap bij hem breng groeten van nadir
de dag naar mijn vader is minder maar moet
probeer een jochie met handkar te vinden
neem ezels of klim te voet langs de rotsen
volg anderen en spreek met jezelf af
nu zijn we dieren dit mag
daar stuiteren rolstoelen door het stof
terug van de stad waar men zieken geneest
met kanker suiker in volle zon
veel bejaarden veel zieken veel zwetende dieren
maar zo is dat ook bedoeld geweest
overdag zijn wij zwetende klimdieren
omdat het zo bedoeld is geweest
ze slaan en schoppen de dieren met reden
ooit zullen wij melk en honing geven
ontstaat uit mensenhand mannaregen
indien je dit krankzinnig vindt habibi
bedenk dan kilometers verderop
zitten echte meisjes en jongens angstvallig
als daad van verzet op terrassen van starbuck
luidkeels te vrezen voor het leven
From: Onhandig bloesemend
Publisher: De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam
Publisher: De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Ramsey Nasr
Close
THE SUBHUMAN AND HIS HABITAT
welcome to the land of milk and honeywhere figalmondapricots grow
unmetaphorically on accommodating trees
eat of them and be my guest today
i’ll pay your taxi to the first roadblock
my father waits behind the second roadblock
he’ll make you his guest of honour too
with oil bread oregano sesame
stars press down upon his roof
sleep there and give him nadir’s love
the day to father is hard but essential
try to find a kid with a barrow
take donkeys or scramble on foot round the cliffs
follow the others keep telling yourself
now we are animals this is permissible
wheelchairs go bouncing through dust
back from the city where they cure the sick
diabetic with cancer in blazing sun
many old, many sick, many sweating animals
but that’s the whole idea
in the day we are sweating climbing animals
because that’s the whole idea
they beat and kick the animals to an end
that one day we will give milk and honey
one day manna will rain from human hands
if this seems insane to you habibi
just think that miles down the road
real girls and boys are sitting nervously
outside starbucks as an act of resistance
uproarious in fear of their lives
© 2004, David Colmer
From: Onhandig bloesemend
From: Onhandig bloesemend
THE SUBHUMAN AND HIS HABITAT
welcome to the land of milk and honeywhere figalmondapricots grow
unmetaphorically on accommodating trees
eat of them and be my guest today
i’ll pay your taxi to the first roadblock
my father waits behind the second roadblock
he’ll make you his guest of honour too
with oil bread oregano sesame
stars press down upon his roof
sleep there and give him nadir’s love
the day to father is hard but essential
try to find a kid with a barrow
take donkeys or scramble on foot round the cliffs
follow the others keep telling yourself
now we are animals this is permissible
wheelchairs go bouncing through dust
back from the city where they cure the sick
diabetic with cancer in blazing sun
many old, many sick, many sweating animals
but that’s the whole idea
in the day we are sweating climbing animals
because that’s the whole idea
they beat and kick the animals to an end
that one day we will give milk and honey
one day manna will rain from human hands
if this seems insane to you habibi
just think that miles down the road
real girls and boys are sitting nervously
outside starbucks as an act of resistance
uproarious in fear of their lives
© 2004, David Colmer
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