Ugarit
Gewiß
Ein Stein überdauert
Uns
Die nicht einmal natürlichen
Todes gewiß sind
Doch nur
In uns
Überlebt die Geschichte
Dieses Steins die Hand
Die ihn gehaun
Zu Tempeln
Und zu Staub
Sein Tod geht
Durch uns hindurch
Ins Leben
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Translations of this Poem
Ugarit
Translator: Suhayl Saadi
It is written
A stone outlasts
Us
Who are not even certain of a
Natural death
Yet solely
In us
Survives the history
Of this stone the hand
That clove it
Into temples
And to dust
Its death ascends
Straight through us
Into life
Outwitted by our
Imagination’s wit
About this poem
M/Other Tongues, a poetry event which took place at the Scottish Poetry Library from 28 February to 2 March 2002, brought to Scotland two poets writing in German although it is not their mother tongue: Adel Karascholi from Syria, who has lived in Leipzig since the early ’60s, and Dragica Rajčić from Croatia, who has lived in Switzerland since the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia.
They were paired with two Scottish poets who have also lived between two languages and/or cultures: Suhayl Saadi of Pakistani/Afghani descent who lives in Glasgow, and Christopher Whyte, of Irish descent, who writes in Scottish Gaelic and lives in Edinburgh.
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Adel Karasholi
Adel Karasholi, born in Damascus of Kurdish descent, was forced to flee Syria in 1959 when the Arab Writers’ Association, of which he was the youngest member, was proscribed. He settled in Leipzig in 1961 where he completed his...
