The Art of Marxism: poetry

Lion in an Iron Cage

by Nāzım Hikmet Ran


Look at the lion in the iron cage,
look deep into his eyes:
             like two naked steel daggers
             they sparkle with anger.
But he never loses his dignity
             although his anger
                    comes and goes
                             goes and comes.

You couldn't find a place for a collar
round his thick, furry mane.
Although the scars of a whip
       still burn on his yellow back
his long legs
          stretch and end
       in the shape of two copper claws.
The hairs on his mane rise one by one
                around his proud head.
His hatred
       comes and goes
                goes and comes ...

The shadow of my brother on the wall of the dungeon
      moves
             up and down
                       up and down.

(1928)