Mahmoud Darwish

13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008 / Palestinian

Neighing At The Slope

Horses' neighing at the slope. Downward or upward.
I prepare my portrait for my woman to hang on a wall when I die.
She says: Is there a wall to hang it on?
I say: We'll build a room for it. Where? In any house.
Horses' neighing at the slope. Downward or upward.
Does a thirty-year-old woman need a homeland where she might make a life?
Can I reach the summit of this rugged mountain? The slope is either an abyss
or a place of siege.
Midway it divides. It's a journey. Martyrs kill one another.
I prepare my portrait for my woman. When a new horse neighs in you, tear it up.
Horses' neighing at the slope. Upward, or upward.
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