Faruq Hassan
SIX POEMS
Translated by the poet and Stanley Rajiva
IN A DREAM
Long ago, in a dream,
we went together, she and Iy
from the city to a dense forest.
When we reached the middle of the forest,
just to tease her a bit, to vex her,
I tied her to a tree.
Having tied her, I got busy in the harmless labor of the dream;
broke twigs and crathered dry leaves, cleaned a path and lit a fire? entangled in the dream's confusion.
It grieves me to say,
I returned to the city
and forgot to bring her back from the dream.
The dream was lost to the light of the sun.
She would still be there,
tied to that tree
waiting to be freed.
Lions and wolves
and tigers that thirst for blood
would be prowling around the tree
ready to pounce on her.
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