Stay close to me, you
my murderer, my sweetheart, stay close to me —

At the hour of nightfall
The night, drunk on the skies blood, falls further into darkness
Musk for a balm, diamond for a lancet
Comes out wailing, and laughing, and singing
Comes out jingling the lilac anklets of pain;
In the hour when hearts, trapped inside ribcages,
Look for the path bringing hands, washed, hidden inside sleeves
Hoped for;

The sob of infants like the gurgle of pouring wine
Discontented, stubborn, persuaded every way but to no avail;
When, no matter what you do, nothing works
When none of your plans move forward —

At the hour of nightfall
At the hour of mournful, desolate, black nightfall
Stay close
My murderer, my sweetheart, stay close to me.

( my translation of a poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz) .

(c) Satori Publishing, 2020.