Not a star

Not a star, not a prophet's inspiration

not a pious face worshiping the moon,

here he comes like a pagan spear

invading the land of alphabets

bleeding, raising his hemorrhage to the sun.

Here he comes wearing the stone's nakedness

thrusting his prayers into caves.

Here he comes

embracing the weightless earth.

Adonis, Selected Poems (de Songs of Mihyar of Damascus, 1961), Khaled Mattawa (trad.), Yale/Margelios, 2010.