That was he He was my friend whose body opened to receive the blade He was neither mad nor rash He was one who would conquer the world with words He placed a signpost for the procession of palm trees Saying It has come to an end This was no misgiving he expressed, nor anticipation He established a climate for his words and threw his body into the path of brass feet *** He said I will end with the palms He heard the rain weep, the earth sob He imposed his village on the city binding stones together with grass His timeless eyes merged his beloved with the homeland, He set up for her a palace of words *** He would charge in, move directly, his conversation was a language teaching speech and he was also my friend. Enamoured with conquering distances and differences He molded his creatures rapidly rapidly he would proclaim rapidly act and rapidly die When he turned to ask, the blade struck him He opened wide his body and the murder rushed in as though he could not bear a deathless dying and so he died *** That was he my friend who was still young for love, for poetry, for his homeland still young for death but he died That was he whose friend I was and still am. _______________ Translated by Lena jayyusi and Naomi Shihab Nye