No More Distant than Mount Sinai by Alisa Velaj
Mount Sinai is no more distant than I am Moses prays for me and Himself My mother cannot believe he prays even for us Every morning she advises me not to dare think of evils For dogs sing inside the mean man’s head only The desert conquers my palate Whenever I hear that piece of advice I try to keep silent but Mount Sinai wants to talk My mother always looks at me in astonishment And hurries to finish her speech Before the invasion of night Mount Sinai is no more distant than we are And if I get angry with it for blocking my view My home will become an orphan… Translated from Albanian into English by: Ukë ZENEL Buçpapaj