Ali Podrimja

How did the serpent bite him?

And he said to the Lion: Not a word!
The Lion fell to its knees before his sword.

Ages ago they said: In this circus of ours
We haven’t seen such a curious performance for ages.

So how did the serpent bite him?

In our little town, the children now tell
That He set off to bring the flame
Which he had stolen one rainy day from mankind.

And how did the serpent bite him?

He said to the Lion: keep silent!
And the Lion fell to its knees before his dark eyes.

[Flaka e vjedhur. Translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie]