“Love” by Ali Podrimja

It is time to love each other,
for you to have faith in me when I say: Courage,
for me to have faith in you when you say: Courage.
Many traps you concocted for my stubborn head,
many weapons were charged for me by your father, your tribe,
a thousand and one ambushes were set by you.
But we lived under one roof,
you used to weigh my manhood from your window,
while every day I’d read Shakespeare under the shadow of my Tower,
hoping to meet you by the springs of hopes.
Take care of my eye, my love,
take care of my back, save it from the sun, the freezing cold!
I fear the ghouls of darkness might stab my eye,
I fear those who shan’t be trusted will murder me from the back.
My Love, give me your hand so that we may
hop over these maddened waters,
I’m no foreigner, nor do I come from mortal lands.
Can’t you see in the distance of these mowed pastures:
that white horse, he’s ours, now and forever.
Look straight into my eyes, be done with quarrels, words, curses.
I will bequeath a Flower for you, right from the heart of the mountain,
I will light a lantern in the tower,
I will spread my seed into fresh lands.
When I loved you, you used to make love in seven villages
with heavy pounding.
When you loved me, I used to make love to a crazy woman
and the neighborhood would echo with curses for us.
Life is slipping away, Courage,
how come we didn’t think of ourselves a little.
It is time to love one another.

(translated by Armend Bekaj)

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