N. M. RASHED'S Saba WFraN: THREE VERSIONS Sheba in Ruin Solomon sits. head on knees The land of Sheba is ruined, Sheba, laid waste, A haunted land a heap of agony, Without flower, without shrub There, dry winds thirst for rain, Birds bend beaks under wings, Men with parched gullets writhe Solomon sits head on knees Dour, disheartened, with disheveled hair Was cunning, might the bounding of a deer9 Love a flame s sudden leap7 Desire, a rose without scent9 These are life's ways. Speak no more of them Sheba is ruined Nothing remains but marauders' tracks Neither Sheba nor her fair queen remain Solomon sits head on knees From where shall good fortune's messengers come9 From where shall wine For the cup of age come9 Translated by M H K Qureshi & Carlo Coppola Sheba in Ruins Solomon, his head on his knees, and Sheba in ruins Sheba in ruins, Sheba the haunt of ghosts Sheba a heap of sorrows not to be measured by feet No grass anywhere, wild or grown by men, nor flowers, the winds thirsty for rain The birds of the forest with their beaks in their wings, and men choking on dust 35