Oasis Poem by Abraham Sutzkever

A land where trees are leaf-covered dreams …

Under them — a man of black marble.

Red lips burning on his leg.
A serpent has tattooed
Her jealousy on the beautiful Bantu Negro.

Next to him — the milk-white bones of his horse.
But he himself — as if asleep.
The strong poison
Marbled his limbs.
The night hyena
Will not dare approach —
Dreads the poison.

It seems: death has no more power over his victim,
With his brush, he cannot paint him gray.
Who will care for the dead Bantu Negro?
The black crow dreads the poison.

Suddenly, festive birds arrive at the oasis.
Golden birds!
On their way to a wedding.
Rest a while on the leaf-covered dreams,
Tinkle with their hearts in shimmering fatigue,
Glitter with colors a man cannot merit,
Tune their fiddles …
And when they fly off,
They take with them
The dead rider.
To the wedding, they take
The beautiful dead rider.