First wars resemble
a girl of great beauty,
we trifle, don’t tremble,
expecting great booty.
When later they turn
into ugly old whores,
we’re bitter and spurn
those who planned these damned wars.
Inspired by a poem by Shmu’el Hanagid (993-1056) , translated by Peter Cole in The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poems from Muslim and Christian Spain 950-1492 (pp.58-9) :
FIRST WAR
First war resembles
a beautiful girl
we all want to flirt with
and believe.
Later it’s more
a repulsive old whore
whose callers are bitter
and grieve.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem