Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tagel Seifu

AB/SIL/ENCE

Is the sign in the library crazy,
     asking us to be silent here?
Doesn’t it know these shelves are dizzy
   with books just waiting to scream?
Books which any visitor can open up
     and let explosions out? 
Our ears prick up, our hearts go thump
   at what is coming up the throat. 
Signs should not call for crazy things!
   Silence is absent here.

ፀጥ/አ/ጥታ

ፀጥ/አ/ጥታ

አብጃል ወይ ግድግዳው የቤትመፃፍቱ
የዚህ ቤት ፀጥታ ይከበር ማለቱ
በመደርደሪያው ላይ ጥራዝ በሰልፍ ሆኖ
ጩኸት ተጠርዞ ኡኡታ ታፍኖ
እንደ እኔ እግር ጥሎት የመጣው እንግጋ
ያንን ጥራዝ ገልጦ ፣ ጩኸት ሲያፈነዳ
ጆሮዬ እየሰማ ... ልቤ እየተረዳ
ምናል ባታብሉ ... ምናል ባትዋሹ
ከሌለበት ስፍራ ... ፀጥታን ባትሽ ....
Close

AB/SIL/ENCE

Is the sign in the library crazy,
     asking us to be silent here?
Doesn’t it know these shelves are dizzy
   with books just waiting to scream?
Books which any visitor can open up
     and let explosions out? 
Our ears prick up, our hearts go thump
   at what is coming up the throat. 
Signs should not call for crazy things!
   Silence is absent here.

AB/SIL/ENCE

Is the sign in the library crazy,
     asking us to be silent here?
Doesn’t it know these shelves are dizzy
   with books just waiting to scream?
Books which any visitor can open up
     and let explosions out? 
Our ears prick up, our hearts go thump
   at what is coming up the throat. 
Signs should not call for crazy things!
   Silence is absent here.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère