Bahira

Does it ever happen that you go crazy?
Yes, of course it does.
And what was not, or was, is forgotten... - or will be and will be forgotten.

But I cannot forget these sandy stories.
In this desert, when you do not know where to go,
You are truly humble, recognizing your loss.
There, in solitude, where there is no opinion of others,
The absence or presence of mind does not matter.
To burn in the sun without water!
At first it is suffering.
Then, when it seems that a second wind is blowing,
You are blessed! With subtle sensitivity,
And that somewhere far, far away there is a waterfall!
It is no longer a mirage.
It is just sandy waterfalls, bringing the purest stream of air.
You feel with your nose, lips, tongue and closed eyes,
Like Bahira* - the princess of the desert.

*Bahira is a she-camel that was revered by pre-Islamic Arabs. If a she-camel gave birth to ten she-camels in a row, the pagan Arabs called her Saiba and worshiped her. After that, if another she-camel gave birth, she was called Bahira and worshiped along with her mother. The pagans set her free in the desert, but they did not ride her, did not load her, and did not shear her wool. Only guests drank her milk.

Iltifat Haydarov
04/01/2021