Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Wadih Sa’adeh

Shadows

They glided down towards the sea,
drifting from their mountains like soft shadows,
in case they woke the grass.
Passing over fields,
some shadows whispered farewell and slept;
others clung to rocks and stretched,
dragging the people back.
As they moved, exhausted,
towards the sea,
the sun above them was
searching for a needle
to stitch them once more, to their shadows.

ظلال

ظلال


زحلوا نحوَ الماءِ
منحدرين من جبالهم ظلالاً ناعمةً
لئلاَّ يوقظوا العُشب.
خيالاتُهم حينَ مرَّتْ على الحقولِ
فارقَهُمْ بعضُها ونامَ هناك
وخيالاتٌ تشبَّثَتْ بالصخورِ وانمغطَتْ
وأعادتْهم إليها.

زحلوا حتَّى وصلوا
إلى الماءِ مُنهكين
وفوقَهم كانتِ الشمسُ تبحثُ عن إبرةٍ
لتُعيدَ وَصْلَهُم بالظلال.
Close

Shadows

They glided down towards the sea,
drifting from their mountains like soft shadows,
in case they woke the grass.
Passing over fields,
some shadows whispered farewell and slept;
others clung to rocks and stretched,
dragging the people back.
As they moved, exhausted,
towards the sea,
the sun above them was
searching for a needle
to stitch them once more, to their shadows.

Shadows

They glided down towards the sea,
drifting from their mountains like soft shadows,
in case they woke the grass.
Passing over fields,
some shadows whispered farewell and slept;
others clung to rocks and stretched,
dragging the people back.
As they moved, exhausted,
towards the sea,
the sun above them was
searching for a needle
to stitch them once more, to their shadows.
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Nederlands Letterenfonds
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