Poetry: Where…?

“Where
is the friend’s house?”
asked the knight at dawn –
the sky was hesitant…
 
The traveller’s mouth extended
the branch of light to the shadows
of the sand and spoke aligning a poplar
to his pointing hand:

“Before one gets to the tree
there is the alley
leading to a greener garden
than God’s own vision…
 
“There
you will turn
towards the flower of solitude
a mere two steps before you reach it
stop and rest at the foot
of the unquenchable
fountain of earthly fables
as a translucent fear overtakes you
and you hear a stroking swish
in the fluid loneliness
of space…
 
“You will see a small child
climbing a tall fir tree to take a chick
from the nest of light –
then you will speak
and ask him:

“Where
is the friend’s house?”

————Sohrab Sepehri

Translated by Tatul Sonentz

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Tatul Sonentz-Papazian

Tatul Sonentz-Papazian is the former editor of the Armenian Review and director of the ARF and First Republic of Armenia Archives, based in Watertown, Mass. He has been a contributor to the Armenian Weekly for over 50 years. He currently directs the Publications Department of the Armenian Relief Society.

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