Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Adonis

CONCERT: AN ALTERNATE EXPLANATION OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

1.
Here,
out of the horizon’s fleece,
a new gown is being sewn.
Celebrate this birth,
mix the incense and musk with the dust of the dead,
recite the names of the dead by the cemetery gates,
tell the angels to bring chairs to seat the guests,
do not forget to decorate the roads with banners and streamers.
 
2.
Birds of iron are born
to embrace the distances,
chains are born to choke the throats of light.
 
3.
History strips off his blood-smeared helmet
and tosses it into the Upside-Down Lake.
Language flings its nets in the air
to catch fish that only it can imagine:
the fish are born, die, and rise again.
 
4.
Days that never end
swim in the Upside-Down Lake:
upside-down days like their lake.
 
5.
The Upside-Down Lake:
Fire/Water
in a bowl.
 
6.
A sea without life or waves,
a sea that fell
into the trap of words.
 
7.
No one dares to touch that water,
a water where the forests of meaning are set ablaze:
They said:
            In each drop of water
            we planted a word.
They said:
            We used to store our hopes and dreams
            in amphorae to age them.
They said:
            The gates of heaven are for those who wish them,
            but to us belongs the volition of the earth.
They said:
            We used to scream when we were asleep
            to prove to our eyelids that reality
            is nothing except our steps.
They said:
            Look at what words do here.
            They wear slippers
            made of emerald and sapphire
            and stay put to guard heaven’s gates.

CONCERT: EEN ANDERE UITLEG VAN DE DODE ZEEROLLEN [fragment]

1
Moet je zien
Uit de mouwen van de einder
wordt een nieuwe jas geweven voor een nieuwe dag
Vier deze geboorte
meng wierook en muskus met het stof van de dode
herhaal de namen van nieuwgeboren aan de poorten van graven
zeg tegen de engelen dat zij stoelen brengen voor de gasten om op te zitten
en niet vergeten de wegen met portretten en vlaggen te versieren

2
IJzeren vogels worden geboren
om afstanden te omvatten
ketenen worden gemaakt om licht te vangen

3
De geschiedenis heeft haar bebloede helm afgezet
en in het Ontregelde Meer gegooid
De taal gooide haar net in de lucht
om denkbeeldige vissen te vangen:
Vissen werden geboren, sterven en worden opgewekt

4
Dagen houden niet op
in het Ontregelde Meer te zwemmen
dagen even ontregeld als dit meer

5
Het Ontregelde Meer
water - vuur
in één vat

6
Een zee zonder golven of leven
Wat een zee die ook
in de woordenval viel

7
Niemand durfde dat water aan te raken
Water waarin oerwouden van betekenissen branden
Ze zeggen:
in elke waterdruppel
hebben wij een woord gezaaid
Ze zeggen:
wij hebben ons verdriet en onze dromen
in kruiken gedaan om te rijpen
Ze zeggen:
de poorten van de hemel zijn voor wie wil
wij hebben het voor het zeggen op aarde
Ze zeggen:
wij schreeuwden in onze slaap
om onze oogleden ervan te verzekeren dat de werkelijkheid
niets anders is dan onze stappen
Ze zeggen:
dit zijn de woorden
zij dragen
smaragden en robijnen slippers aan hun voeten
en zitten als wachters aan de hemelpoort

كونشيرتو تأويلٍ آخرَ لمخطوطات البحر الميت

 (" بحر لوط " ، " بحر سدوم وعمورة " ، 
   " البحيرة الميتة " ، " البحيرة المقلوبة " ،
 " البحيرة المنتنة " –
أسماء أخرى يُسمّى بها " البحر الميت "  )
( الانسيكلوبيديا الإسلامية )
 

1
هوذا ،
مِن أردانِ الأُفق ،
يُحاكُ ثوبٌ جديدٌ لنهارٍ آخر ، -
     احتفلوا بهذه الولادة
     امزجوا البخهورَ والمسكَ بغبار الموتى ،
     ردّدوا أسماء المواليد على أبواب المقابر ،
     قولوا للملائكِ أن تأتي بمقاعدَ يجلس عليها المدعوّون ،
     ولا تنسوا أن تزيّنوا الطُّرقَ بالصّور والبَيارِق .
 
2
 تولدُ طيورٌ من الحديد
    لاِحتضانِ المسافات ،
تولدُ قيودٌ لأعناقِ الضّوء .
 
3
 نزعَ التّاريخُ خُوذتَه المبلّلة بِالدّم ،
وَألقاها في حضن "البحيرة المقلوبة" ، -
كانتِ اللّغة تُلقي شِباكَها في الهواء ،
لِصَيْدِ أسماكٍ تتوهّمها :
أسماكٍ تولدُ ، وتموتُ ، وتُبْعَث.
 
4
 أيّامٌ لا تكفُّ
عن السِّباحة في "البحيرة الكقلوبة" ، -
أيام مقلوبةٌ كمثل هذه البحيرة.
 
5
 "البحيرةُ المقلوبة" :
نارٌ – ماءٌ
في إناءٍ واحد .
 
6
 بَحرٌ بلا حياةٍ ولا موج ، -
يا للبحر الذي وقعَ ، هو أيضاً ،
في فخِّ الألفاظ.
 
7
 لا يجرؤ أحدٌ أن يلمس ذلك الماء ، -
ماءٌ تَلتهبُ فيه غاباتُ المعنى :
قالوا:
في كلّ نقطة ماءٍ ،
زرعنا كلمة .
قالوا:
كنّا نضع آلآمنا وأحلامَنا
في جِرارٍ ، ونُعَتِّقُها .
قالوا:
أبواب السّماء لمن يريد ،
ولنا المشيئةُ على الأرض .
قالوا:
كنّا نصرخ ونحن نِيامٌ ،
لكي نُثبت لِأهدابِنا أنَّ الواقعَ
ليس شيئاً آخرَ إلاّ خطواتِنا .
قالوا:
ها هي الكلماتُ –
يَضَعْنَ في أقدامهنَّ
أخفافاً  من الزُّمرّد والياقوت ،
وَيجلِسْنَ حارساتٍ على أبواب السَّماء .
Close

CONCERT: AN ALTERNATE EXPLANATION OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

1.
Here,
out of the horizon’s fleece,
a new gown is being sewn.
Celebrate this birth,
mix the incense and musk with the dust of the dead,
recite the names of the dead by the cemetery gates,
tell the angels to bring chairs to seat the guests,
do not forget to decorate the roads with banners and streamers.
 
2.
Birds of iron are born
to embrace the distances,
chains are born to choke the throats of light.
 
3.
History strips off his blood-smeared helmet
and tosses it into the Upside-Down Lake.
Language flings its nets in the air
to catch fish that only it can imagine:
the fish are born, die, and rise again.
 
4.
Days that never end
swim in the Upside-Down Lake:
upside-down days like their lake.
 
5.
The Upside-Down Lake:
Fire/Water
in a bowl.
 
6.
A sea without life or waves,
a sea that fell
into the trap of words.
 
7.
No one dares to touch that water,
a water where the forests of meaning are set ablaze:
They said:
            In each drop of water
            we planted a word.
They said:
            We used to store our hopes and dreams
            in amphorae to age them.
They said:
            The gates of heaven are for those who wish them,
            but to us belongs the volition of the earth.
They said:
            We used to scream when we were asleep
            to prove to our eyelids that reality
            is nothing except our steps.
They said:
            Look at what words do here.
            They wear slippers
            made of emerald and sapphire
            and stay put to guard heaven’s gates.

CONCERT: AN ALTERNATE EXPLANATION OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

1.
Here,
out of the horizon’s fleece,
a new gown is being sewn.
Celebrate this birth,
mix the incense and musk with the dust of the dead,
recite the names of the dead by the cemetery gates,
tell the angels to bring chairs to seat the guests,
do not forget to decorate the roads with banners and streamers.
 
2.
Birds of iron are born
to embrace the distances,
chains are born to choke the throats of light.
 
3.
History strips off his blood-smeared helmet
and tosses it into the Upside-Down Lake.
Language flings its nets in the air
to catch fish that only it can imagine:
the fish are born, die, and rise again.
 
4.
Days that never end
swim in the Upside-Down Lake:
upside-down days like their lake.
 
5.
The Upside-Down Lake:
Fire/Water
in a bowl.
 
6.
A sea without life or waves,
a sea that fell
into the trap of words.
 
7.
No one dares to touch that water,
a water where the forests of meaning are set ablaze:
They said:
            In each drop of water
            we planted a word.
They said:
            We used to store our hopes and dreams
            in amphorae to age them.
They said:
            The gates of heaven are for those who wish them,
            but to us belongs the volition of the earth.
They said:
            We used to scream when we were asleep
            to prove to our eyelids that reality
            is nothing except our steps.
They said:
            Look at what words do here.
            They wear slippers
            made of emerald and sapphire
            and stay put to guard heaven’s gates.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
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