Venice masks

Tuesday 6 December 2022

In Istanbul at the Bosphorus - Safet Isović

in istanbul at the bosphorus,
the pasha lies sick.
his soul is on the decline,
and yearns for the black earth.
 
prayer for him is holy,
when from the minaret, the muezzin
calls out:
allah ilallah, salaam aleikum.
 
since, my servants, you have
faithfully served my harem,
let each one of you take
at least seven wives.
 
a tear dropped from his eye
and he fell dead on the divan,
the old muslim…
allah ilallah, salaam aleikum.
 
when the pasha’s wife
heard about this sad news,
that the pasha had moved
onto the afterlife,
 
a tear dropped from her eye
and she fell dead on the divan,
the pasha’s beloved…

Safet Isović (1936 - 2007) Bosnia
Translated by trulex

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