The moon is hovering over the village
Its inhabitants are asleep
On this terraced-roof, I smell the adobe of nostalgia
The light in neighbour garden is on
Mine is off
The moonlight is shining on plateful of cucumbers, on the water pitcher
Frogs are croaking
An owl is hooting

The mountain is nearby: behind the maples

behind the service trees
And the desert is visible
Rocks are not visible, flowerets are not visible
From afar, shadows are visible like water solitude, like God song
It must be midnight
That is the Great Bear, two spans above the rooftop
The sky is not blue, It was blue during the day
I should remember to go to Hasan Orchard tomorrow
to buy greengages and dried apricots
I should remember to go to the abattoir tomorrow
to make sketches of goats
Of brooms, and of their reflection in water

I should remember to rescue the butterflies
falling in water
I should remember not to commit a thing
to offend against the laws of earth
I should remeber to wash my towel
with soap bark at the stream tomorrow
I should remember I am solitary

The moon is over Solitude

Sohrab Sephri