Female

Do you not see that we pitched our tent on the banks of night
And called out to you to enter in safety
So that we could wash your face at night with sea water,
Your face where ancient terror dwells?
Did you not crave sanctuary of the wind, and we gave you shelter?
Did you not tremble and we called to you
To drink our wine from earthen vessels,
That wine whose praises you have sung?
Did we not call upon you to seal in the blue of night
A covenant with the land you seek?
This is your drawn countenance
The water birds enter it in flocks
And this is your house, open,
pledged to the flood-tide of the sea.
The Female called out your name saying:
“Do not betray me, Master,
Descend into my body, cleanse
With night rituals its estrangement;
Of antique cedar wood is our bed,
And full of gladness is the night; be with me.”
Why did you lose her, Master? They say she cast
Her girdle and earrings to the waters of the sea,
They say we saw her before people crying out:
“Who of you can restore to me my Master whom I love,
A young man like the cyprus tree, all the birds of evening
Are reflected in the depth of his eyes;
I invited him into my mother's house,
I said do not saddle your horses for the valley of God
That path has no guide and winter is on the roads,
What should you seek?—God is here in my body.”

Why did you lose her, Master?
They say we saw her, face to the sea, arms open, calling:
“Come to me now, my body celebrates you.”
Why did you lose her, Master? Here you return
Dust on your shoulders, heavily burdened,
In your open face the osprey finds a home.
Descend in safety, let's wash
Your face at night with sea water,
Your face where ancient terror dwells.
Did you not crave sanctuary of the wind, and we gave you shelter?
Did you not tremble and we called to you
To drink our wine from earthen vessels,
That wine whose praises you have sung?
Did we not call upon you to seal in the blue of night
A covenant with the land you seek?
This is your drawn countenance
The water birds enter it in flocks
And this is your house, open,
pledged to the flood-tide of the sea.
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Language: 
Author of original: 
Muhammad Al-Ghuzzi
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