Dream 1 <br />On nights of torment and sorrow <br />its waters saturate the pillow <br />and it comes like the smell of moss <br />with green steps <br />to touch my right palm <br />with a jasmine sprig: <br />Wake up... <br />I am the river... <br />Don't you love me? Don't you want to reach Basra <br />on the wings of the pillow? <br />River, <br />I'm awake, awake. <br />'On my pillow a drop <br />that tastes like moss...' <br />It's Basra. <br /> <br />Dream 2 <br />Skies shade me. <br />Low skies shade me and the sparrows, <br />and my grandfather holds my hand, <br />his face shaded with a red kaffiyeh. <br />In the distance the waters shine <br />and my grandfather holds my hand: <br />Let's go faster before the birds leave. <br />Let's go faster before tide robs our nets... <br />On the grass, fish drip from our nets. <br />In river fog they appear like green ships, <br />like red ships, <br />like blue ships <br />that sailed before the water rose. <br /> <br />Dream 3 <br />On the shores of Kout Al-Zain dawn was tumbling down. <br />he date palms wore purple plumes <br />and in my hair there were stars, warmth, and rain. <br />I was swimming toward the other bank, <br />swimming to reach Ahwaz. <br />And in Ahwaz dawn was tumbling down <br />and the date palms wore purple plumes <br />and the water in Karoun tasted just like the water <br />in Basra.<br /><br />Saadi Youssef<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/shatt-al-arab/
