Clothed in the Water

Translated from Arabic by Will Pewit

Clothed in the water
of your generosity.
Given liberally, yet ephemerally,
I’m soaked yet unclothed.

A brother can fast,
he can kneel.
But greed cannot uncurse itself.

Abbasid poet Ulayya bint al-Mahdī was, as her name alludes, daughter of the caliph al-Mahdī, but was also sister to Harun al-Rashid, whose legend features prominently in the 1,001 Nights. In addition to her talent in verse, she was also acclaimed for her musical gifts.

FROM Volume 70, Number 1