Poem
Esther Raab
A LANDSCAPE NOT OF THIS PLACE
Me and him – justthe two of us – and a world entirely empty
only me and him
and we have no form –
only a bluish flicker –
and an essence of souls dancing
leaping for a moment incandescent
joining and glancing at one
another two clear figures
in transparent blouses, and drawn
each into the other’s arms –
and the arms – are letters,
letters of light
clinging to one another –
both smiling –
with a smile not of this place
the horizons signal
in all the rainbow’s colors –
and no one approaches
only the sapphire of a distant eye
glowing eternal fire.
1981
© Translation: 2002, Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature
From: Thistles: Selected Poems of Esther Raab. Translated by Harold Schimmel
Publisher: Ibis, Jerusalem, 2002
From: Thistles: Selected Poems of Esther Raab. Translated by Harold Schimmel
Publisher: Ibis, Jerusalem, 2002
A LANDSCAPE NOT OF THIS PLACE
© 1988, Zmora Bitan Publishers
From: Collected Poems
Publisher: Zmora Bitan, Tel Aviv
From: Collected Poems
Publisher: Zmora Bitan, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Esther Raab
Close
A LANDSCAPE NOT OF THIS PLACE
Me and him – justthe two of us – and a world entirely empty
only me and him
and we have no form –
only a bluish flicker –
and an essence of souls dancing
leaping for a moment incandescent
joining and glancing at one
another two clear figures
in transparent blouses, and drawn
each into the other’s arms –
and the arms – are letters,
letters of light
clinging to one another –
both smiling –
with a smile not of this place
the horizons signal
in all the rainbow’s colors –
and no one approaches
only the sapphire of a distant eye
glowing eternal fire.
1981
© 2002, Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature
From: Thistles: Selected Poems of Esther Raab. Translated by Harold Schimmel
Publisher: 2002, Ibis, Jerusalem
From: Thistles: Selected Poems of Esther Raab. Translated by Harold Schimmel
Publisher: 2002, Ibis, Jerusalem
A LANDSCAPE NOT OF THIS PLACE
Me and him – justthe two of us – and a world entirely empty
only me and him
and we have no form –
only a bluish flicker –
and an essence of souls dancing
leaping for a moment incandescent
joining and glancing at one
another two clear figures
in transparent blouses, and drawn
each into the other’s arms –
and the arms – are letters,
letters of light
clinging to one another –
both smiling –
with a smile not of this place
the horizons signal
in all the rainbow’s colors –
and no one approaches
only the sapphire of a distant eye
glowing eternal fire.
1981
© 2002, Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature
From: Thistles: Selected Poems of Esther Raab. Translated by Harold Schimmel
Publisher: 2002, Ibis, Jerusalem
From: Thistles: Selected Poems of Esther Raab. Translated by Harold Schimmel
Publisher: 2002, Ibis, Jerusalem
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