Mahmoud Darwish Poems

This land gives us
all that makes life worth living:
April's blushing advances,
the aroma of bread at dawn,
a woman's haranguing of men,
the poetry of Aeschylus,
...

The Earth is closing on us
pushing us through the last passage
...

It is possible…
It is possible at least sometimes…
It is possible especially now
To ride a horse
Inside a prison cell
And run away…
...

I will slog over this endless road to its end.
Until my heart stops, I will slog over this endless, endless road
...

Rome is skin to us as if imposed fate
Its name is branded on our backs yet
As prisoners' numbers and scourges that's Rome
Rome dismantles our brands under her want
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A passenger on the bus says…
nothing impresses me.
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I am Yousuf, O father.
O father, my brothers do not love me nor want me among them.
They assault me and throw stones and words at me
They want me to die so they can eulogize me.
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To our land,
and it is the one near the word of god,
a ceiling of clouds
To our land,
...

A small evening
A neglected village
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Wait for her with an azure cup.
Wait for her in the evening at the spring, among perfumed roses.
...