Sleeplessness

Adeeb Kamal Ad-Deen

Sleep

The flower dropped into the well.

The boys disbanded.

Oh! My eye,

Your eye has become a minaret and ash.

Sleep

Time was almost dawn

And no one housed you: who houses us?

Your palm was empty except for the scent of myrtle

And of a dream extended to fuse the circle of people

Into flowers, Euphrates and date palms.

Running after the years tried us.

A letter like a hot bull tried us:

How could we tame it by our nails?

Our nails were full of the moaning,

Of blood and head.

Sleep

You who dropped the flower into the well

You who dropped the flower into the guards' well.

Now you have become no more than a blind dervish

Weeping in the darkness for God's sun.

Sleep

At this moment there is no one to protect you from

The people's action

The people are asleep…..asleep.