Poem
Adonis
29
“You are the most enchanting incense.” I believe you, butwhat happens now? Embers
blaze inside you: burning and no perfume.
O fragrance, the dictionary of our fires
is being torn to pieces of mud and water,
and departs as a memory
of incense. Departure
is love’s twin; this dominant one, this god who is forever slain.
© Translation: 2013, Khaled Mattawa
29
‘Jij bent de meest volmaakte wierook’ geef ik toe, maarwat gebeurt er nu? Een kooltje
brandt in jou: verbranding en geen heerlijke geur
Jij heerlijke geur, het woordenboek van onze vuren
wordt uiteengereten in water en klei
De herinnering aan wierook
gaat: Weggaan
is de tweelingbroer van de liefde – deze heerser, deze vermoorde god
© Vertaling: 2013, Kees Nijland en Assad Jaber
92
" أنتِ أبهى بَخورٍ " ، أُصَدِّقُ ، لكنْ
ما الذي يحدث الآن ؟ جمرٌ
يتوقّد فيكِ : احتراقٌ ولا عطرَ.
يا عطرُ ، معجمُ نيراننا
يتمزّق طيناً وماءً ،
ويرحل ذكرى
للبخور ؛ الرحيلْ
توأمُ الحبِّ – هذا المهيمن ، هذا الإلهِ القتيلْ.
© 2003, Adonis
From: Awwalu ‘l-djasadi akhiru al-bahr
Publisher: Dâr al-Adâb, Beirut
From: Awwalu ‘l-djasadi akhiru al-bahr
Publisher: Dâr al-Adâb, Beirut
Poems
Poems of Adonis
Close
29
“You are the most enchanting incense.” I believe you, butwhat happens now? Embers
blaze inside you: burning and no perfume.
O fragrance, the dictionary of our fires
is being torn to pieces of mud and water,
and departs as a memory
of incense. Departure
is love’s twin; this dominant one, this god who is forever slain.
© 2013, Khaled Mattawa
From: Awwalu ‘l-djasadi akhiru al-bahr
From: Awwalu ‘l-djasadi akhiru al-bahr
29
“You are the most enchanting incense.” I believe you, butwhat happens now? Embers
blaze inside you: burning and no perfume.
O fragrance, the dictionary of our fires
is being torn to pieces of mud and water,
and departs as a memory
of incense. Departure
is love’s twin; this dominant one, this god who is forever slain.
© 2013, Khaled Mattawa
Sponsors
![Gemeente Rotterdam](/images/logo-GR_Basis_RGB_2021.png)
![Nederlands Letterenfonds](/images/logo-Nederlands-Letterenfonds-logo-RGB.png)
![Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds](/images/logo-stichting-van-beuningen-peterich-fonds.png)
![Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds](/images/cf_logo-zwart.png)
![Lira fonds](/images/logo-Lira_fond.png)
![Versopolis](/images/sponsors/logo_versopolis.png)
![J.E. Jurriaanse](/images/sponsors/logo_J_E_Jurriaanse_2020.png)
![Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie](/images/sponsors/logo_NL_fundedbyEU.png)
![Elise Mathilde Fonds](/images/sponsors/logo_EliseMathilde.png)
![Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot](/images/sponsors/logo_VanWijngaarden-Boot.png)
![Veerhuis](/images/sponsors/logo_Veerhuis_2.png)
![VDM](/images/sponsors/logo_VDM.png)
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère