Latiff Mohidin

Latiff Mohidin Poems

Latiff Mohidin Biography

Latiff Mohidin is one of the most renowned and influential Malaysian poets. Born on 20 August 1941 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, Latiff received his early education in Malaya and Singapore. In the early 1960s, Latiff left his homeland to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, Germany, for four years on a scholarship from the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1969, Latiff attended a course on printmaking at Atelier La Courrier in Paris, France and later continued at Pratt Graphic Centre in New York, USA.)

The Best Poem Of Latiff Mohidin

Maya

year after year
i carry your name
maya
from village to village
i carry it like a new wound
on my brow
maya
from city to city

at times
it opens suddenly
most times it does not stir
at times
when i say your name
maya
blood flows
all over my face

blood flows
all over my face

vientienne oct 1968

Translated from Malay by Eddin Khoo

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