(1995) - Why did you leave the horse alone? - Mahmoud Darwish
This collection of poetry was Darwish's most favoured one, which he provided to the translator Mohammad Shaheen, himself. This was due to them already having worked alongside one another through the books Almond Blossoms and Beyond and Absent Presence. The title of this volume, Why did you leave the horse alone?, is rooted in his deeply interpersonal relationship of constant displacement; originally starting from his home village, Al-Birwa, in upper Galilee, Palestine. His experiences have been shaped from his experiences as a refugee.
What is it that your wings take from me?
Strain, and vaporize like a reckless day,
A grain of wheat is necessary so that
The feather may be free. What is it that my looking glasses
Take from you? My spirit must have
A sky, for the absolute to see it