Psalms

lord
pray
pray loudly against the noise of the human hand
which seeks to drown you out
and appear on quiet soles
so that we might understand your footsteps
exert yourself
in order to recognize our prayers
even when they appear in a different garment
because no prayer ever looses itself from the source of the one praying

•

lord
take up the speech
by which i pray to you
grant me the gestures
which have grown within me in your absence
so that i might remain true to my uneducable nature
and take your weakness upon me

•

lord
you should always wander and never let yourself
settle down
because there are no longer any dwelling places
only footsteps
be loud and penetrating
sympathize with me and my stirrings
lead me
all the way to your bread
so that my word might wake

•

lord
stay by me
even if i nourish myself from ashes and salt
be still and listen to that name
which i lend to you
because i want to distinguish you from the idols
grant me patience to endure those who are vain
with their empty words
and the converts
who are zealous to confirm their opposite
and grant
that my waiting be full of revolt


•


lord
when you arrive
we will be light
bread and water
the table is set and the door opened
come and take your place among us
free me of the belief
that you are only faithful from a distance
and speak with me
in the unharried language of animals
who from far off lie in wait for us
with their unadulterated hunger

-- SAID (full name: Said Mirhadi, 1946-2021), Iranian-born German poet who lived in exile in Germany from 1965, fleeing first the dictatorship of the Shah, and later the dictatorship of the Ayatollahs. For his family's safety, he wrote only under his first name during his lifetime. These selections are from his book Psalms. 

This translation is by Mark S. Burrows.

His obituary and details of his life can be found here: https://en.qantara.de/content/obituary-iranian-german-poet-said-shout-your-names