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digital poem created during the second israel-lebanon war ( july-augost 2006).it was inspired by a sumeian lament writen about 300 years ago.

The cow cried out and lay down there

She cried out, the cow cried out and lay down there
With a "How long?" she cried out and lay down there


.


The Holy Woman of An, Inana, cried out and lay down there

Earth is smitten

My house which the enemy has destroyed!
That city which has become ill-fated
My house which the enemy has defiled!!

That city
At which
EnIil has started
An frowns!
Nudimmud is enraged!
a quarrel

which
entered upon the mountain road!
went about the bow of the ship!
was placed in the stern of the ship!
The bolt of the holy
went about the bow of the ship!


My city which had been built for me in a dream
My house which had been built for me in a dream!




.
That enemy entered my dwelling-place wearing his shoes
That enemy laid his unwashed hands on me
He laid his hands on me, he frightened me
That enemy laid his hands on me, he killed me with fright

.
I am afraid, but he is not afraid of me.
He has stripped off my clothing and dressed his wife with it.
That enemy has cut out the lapis-Iazuli and hangs it about his child.

In my house he frightened me,
in my walled building he terrified me the tablet of my lament
Like a frightened pigeon I spent my time on a roof beam
Like a winged bat I had taken refuge in a crevice
He made me fly about like a bird in my own house which was destroyed
He made me fly about like a bird in my own town which was destroyed
He kept shouting out after me in my own house they have become a heap of ruins
" How I pour out in my city, "You are no longer my city!"
How I pour out in my cellar, "You are no longer my cellar"
I can no longer enter.
I can no longer.
.

on account of its fate I cannot sleep.
I cannot sleep. I cannot dream.
I wander about I cannot rest

the lament translated by Jeremy A. Black and Mark. E. Cohen

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• digital
• poem
• lebanon
• war
• net
• art