When a sparrow scratches at the horizon Do I search for an idol? At each shining guitar Does my spirit Give way to its own demise In the ships’ foaming wake— When a woman finds her womanhood Does the flash at my waist catch me in its light And burn me! When the mallow withers And the bird cries upon its branch Am I made ill Or do I awaken: oh, my country!
Do I catch fire in the flowering of almonds And at each burning Am I the smoke, a kerchief Does the north wind Tear me, The rain erase my face? Used with the permission of the publisher, Everyman’s Library. Copyright © 2026 by Mahmoud Darwish
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