The Garden Of Bright Waters | Page 6

greasy audience in the threepenny stalls?Of the World-famous Caravan of Dance and Song.
And I want to go out beyond the turf fires there,?After I've looked at your just smiling face,?To that untented silent dark blue nighted place;?And wait such time as you will wish the noise all dumb?And drop your fairings and leave the funny man, and come ... You have the most understanding face in all the fair.
From the Arabic of John Duncan.
THE LOST LADY
You are the drowned,?Star that I found?Washed on the rim of the sea?Before the morning.?You are the little dying light?That stopped me in the night.
From the Arabic of John Duncan.
LOVE BROWN AND BITTER
You know so well how to stay me with vapours?Distilled expertly to that unworthy end;?You know the poses of your body I love best?And that I am cheerful with your head on my breast,?You know you please me by disliking one friend;?You read up what amuses me in the papers.
Who knows me knows I am not of those fools?That gets tired of a woman who is kind to them,?Yet you know not how stifled you render me?By learning me so well, how I long to see?An unpractised girl under your clever phlegm,?A soul not so letter-perfect in the rules.
From the Arabic of John Duncan.
OKHOUAN
A mole shows black?Between her mouth and cheek.
As if a negro,?Coming into a garden,?Wavered between a purple rose?And a scarlet camomile.
From the Arabic.
LYING DOWN ALONE
I shall never see your tired sleep?In the bed that you make beautiful,?Nor hardly ever be a dream?That plays by your dark hair;?Yet I think I know your turning sigh?And your trusting arm's abandonment,?For they are the picture of my night,?My night that does not end.
From the Arabic of John Duncan.
OLD GREEK LOVERS
They put wild olive and acanthus up?With tufts of yellow wool above the door?When a man died in Greece and in Greek Islands,
Grey stone by the blue sea,?Or sage-green trees down to the water's edge.
How many clanging years ago?I, also withering into death, sat with him,?Old man of so white hair who only,?Only looked past me into the red fire.?At last his words were all a jumble of plum-trees?And white boys smelling of the sea's green wine?And practice of his lyre. Suddenly
The bleak resurgent mind?Called wonderfully clear: "What mark have I left?"?Crying girls with wine and linen?Washed the straight old body and wrapped up,
And set the doorward feet.?Later for me also under Greek sun?The pendant leaves in green and bitter flakes?Blew out to join the wastage of the world,?And wool, I take it, in the nests of birds.
From the Arabic of John Duncan.
NIGHT AND MORNING
The great brightness of the burning of the stars,?Little frightened love,?Is like your eyes,?When in the heavy dusk?You question the dark blue shadows,?Fearing an evil.
Below the night?The one clear line of dawn;?As it were your head?Where there is one golden hair?Though your hair is very brown.
_From the Arabic (School of Ebn-el-Moattaz) (ninth century)._
IN A YELLOW FRAME
Her hand tinted to gold with henna?Gave me a cup of wine like gold water,?And I said: The moon rise, the sun rise.
_From the Arabic of Hefny-bey-Nassif (contemporary)._
BECAUSE THE GOOD ARE NEVER FAIR
When she appears the daylight envies her garment,?The wanton daylight envies her garment?To show it to the jealous sun.
And when she walks,?All women tall and tiny?Want her figure and start crying.
Because of your mouth,?Long life to the Agata valley,?Long life to pearls.
Watchers have discovered paradise in your cheeks,?But I am undecided,?For there is a hint of the tops of flames?In their purple shining.
_From the Arabic of Ahmed Bey Chawky (contemporary)._
WHITE AND GREEN AND BLACK TEARS
Why are your tears so white??Dear, I have wept so long?That my old tears grow white like my old hair.
Why are your tears so green??Dear, the waters are wept away?And the green gall is flowing.
Why are your tears so black??Dear, the weeping is over?And the black flash you loved is breaking.
_From the Arabic (School of Ebn-el-Farid) (thirteenth century)._
A CONCEIT
I hide my love,?I will not say her name.?And yet since I confess?I love, her name is told.?You know that if I love?It must be ... Whom?
_From the Arabic of Ebn Kalakis Abu El Fath Nasrallah (eleventh century)._
VALUES
Since there is excitement?In suffering for a woman,?Let him burn on.?The dust in a wolf's eyes?Is balm of flowers to the wolf?When a flock of sheep has raised it.
From the Arabic.
WHAT LOVE IS
Love starts with a little throb in the heart,?And in the end one dies?Like an ill-treated toy.?Love is born in a look or in four words,?The little spark that burnt the whole house.?Love is at first a look,?And then a smile,?And then a word,?And then a promise,?And then a meeting of two among flowers.
From the Arabic.
THE DANCING HEART
When she came she said:?You know that your love is granted,?Why is your heart trembling?
And I:?You are bringing joy for my heart?And so my heart