The Desert (The Diary of Beirut Under Siege, 1982) - Another Extract

Further to my post a few months ago on this poem by Adonis, here's another extract from among its 35 verses.

 الصحراء  (مختارات من يوميات حصار بيروت ١٩٨٢ )

٤

أتناقَض؟ هذا صَحيح
        فأنا الآن زرع و بالأسِ كنتُ حصاداً
        وأنا بين ماءٍ و نارٍ
        وأنا الآن جمرٌ و وردٌ
        وأنا الآن شمسٌ و ظلٌ
        وأنا لستُ ربّاً -
أتناقَض؟ هذا صحيحٌ...

4

Am I full of contradictions? That is correct.
       Now I am a plant. Yesterday, when I was between fire
         and water
       I was a harvest.
       Now I am a rose and live coal,
       Now I am the sun and the shadow
       I am not a god.
Am I full of contradictions? That is correct...


Translated by Abdullah al-Udhari (Taken from 'Victims of a Map')

If you enjoyed that, you can see the first full 20 verses at another website by clicking here.