Wild honey has a scent - of freedom Dust - a scent of sunshine And a girl’s mouth - of violets.
But gold - nothing. Water - like mignonette. And like apple - love. But we have learned that
blood smells only of blood.
Translated from the Russian by Ilya Kaminsky and Katie Farris
29 The Paris-American
Anna Akhmatova was a Russian modernist poet. A couple of her most celebrated poems include Requiem and Poem Without a Hero.
Ilya Kaminsky is the author of Dancing In Odessa (Tupelo) and co-editor of Ecco Anthology of International Poetry (Harper Collins).
Katie Farris is the author of BOYSGIRLS (Marick Press) and co-translator of Guy Jean's "If I were Born in Prague" (Argos Books). She teaches at San Diego State Uniersity.
