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)