2024-03-15

Heba Zagout

A print of one of Heba Zagout’s paintings. All of the original canvases of this Palestinian artist were destroyed
 in the Israeli airstrike that killed her and two of her sons, Adam and Mahmoud, in October 2023.

Heba Zagout is a tanka in Irish and English (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) by Gabriel Rosenstock, in memory of the eponymous Palestinian artist.

it is difficult
to reassemble a dove
to get the wings right
     and, of course, the beating heart -
     the most difficult of all

tá sé fiordheacair
colm a chur le chéile
na sciatháin, abair,
     agus an croí beo, ar ndóigh,
     an chuid is deacra ar fad

   eško je
   opet sastaviti golubicu
   da dobije prava krila
      i, naravno, srce što kuca –
      najteže od svega

Croatian version: Tomislav Maretić   

Il est difficile
De reconstituer une colombe
Mettre les ailes en places
et, le plus dur, bien sûr
refaire battre le coeur.

(Leagan Fraincise . Francis Combes .)