“The River is Female”*
Lady of the Four Seasons
Stanza One: Spring (Love and Seduction)
The river’s mood is spring-like today.
It overflows with love and a summons.
The river tells me: She.
And she says: The river is He.
The river is female. And the female is a river.
The river’s temper is changing.
And in its change, I surge like a spoiled child.
The rattling of mercury tempts me.
And the longings that carry the mercury’s amber,
As they dance in the river to the moon’s melody.
Stanza Two: Autumn (Grief and Hunger)
The river’s mood is autumnal today.
It overflows with sorrow and weeping.
The river says: My water is from her eyes.
And she says: My eyes are in the river.
The river’s temper is changing.
And in its change, I am a hungry child.
The scent of milk tempts me.
As the river is churned in the moon’s absence,
And the nipple dances the dance of the dusky swan.
Stanza Three: Summer (Lust and Thievery)
The river’s mood is summery today.
It overflows with viscous steam.
The river tells me: She is a breeze, she is my sweat.
And she tells me: The river flowed from my armpit.
The river’s temper is changing.
And in its change, I am a frightened thief,
Waiting for the moon to vanish, to steal the river’s garment.
Stanza Four: Winter (Freeze and Disappointment)
The river’s mood is icy today.
It overflows with silver and white gold.
It tells me: She is the frozen surface.
And she tells me: My skin is the river.
The river’s temper is changing.
And in its change, I am a homeless hunter.
He watches for the sun’s appearance in the river,
He awaits the sun’s piercing of the river for a fish,
That is thrown onto the stone.
*Translation from Arabic to English using artificial intelligence.