Ghassan Zaqtan
PALESTINE

Fady Joudah  has translated Ghassan Zaqtan's
Like a Straw Bird It follows Me (Yale Press, 2011) into English. He won the Yale Younger Poets Award for his first book of his own poetry. His own 2nd poetry collection, Alight, was released by Copper Canyon Press in 2013.
Ghassan Zaqtan is one of the most prominent Palestinian poets writing today. He has written ten collections of poetry and two novels. His work has been translated into several languages. Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me is the first translation of his work into English..

THE DEAD IN THE GARDEN

Don’t open the window
don’t wake up
I beg you don’t wake up…
they were dancing on the garden grass
as if they were the garden’s motive
or its meditation
and they were screaming there
 
Beneath the light
their dust was coming apart
 
it had rained at night
all night

 

 

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