This way I prayed: "Slake the dumb thirst
Of singing with a sweet libation!"
But to the earthling of the earth
There can be no liberation.

Like smoke from sacrifice, that it could not
Fly Strength- and Glory-ward - alas -
But only clouded at the feet
And, as if praying, kissed the grass.

Thus I, O Lord, before thee bow:
Will reach the fire of the sky
My lashes that are closed for now
And muteness utter and divine?

By Anna Akhmatova
Translated by Ilya Shambat
https://sites.google.com/site/ibshambat

On Thursday, September 15, 2022 at 5:18:07 PM UTC-7, ibsh...@gmail.com wrote:
> This way I prayed: "Slake the dumb thirst
> Of singing with a sweet libation!"
> But to the earthling of the earth
> There can be no liberation.
>
> Like smoke from sacrifice, that it could not
> Fly Strength- and Glory-ward - alas -
> But only clouded at the feet
> And, as if praying, kissed the grass.
>
> Thus I, O Lord, before thee bow:
> Will reach the fire of the sky
> My lashes that are closed for now
> And muteness utter and divine?
>
> By Anna Akhmatova
> Translated by Ilya Shambat
> https://sites.google.com/site/ibshambat

wow, intense

obviously i don't know the original, but i like this in and of itself. :) (i like a lot of your stuff, i just don't say, but i don't read all, i confess, i barely read much of anything. :-///)