Jan 4, 2020
No Road Back Home
By Abduqadir Jalalidin
Translated into English by: Joshua L. Freeman
In this forgotten place I have no lover’s touchEach night brings darker dreams, I have no amuletMy life is all I ask, I have no other thirstThese silent thoughts torment, I have no way to hope
Who I once was, what I’ve become, I cannot knowWho could I tell my heart’s desires, I cannot sayMy love, the temper of the fates I cannot guessI long to go to you, I have no strength to move
Through cracks and crevices I’ve watched the seasons changeFor news of you I’ve looked in vain to buds and flowersTo the marrow of my bones I’ve ached to be with youWhat road led here, why do I have no road back home
Editor’s Note: Abduqadir Jalalidin is a renowned Uyghur writer, poet, and academician. He is considered one of the leading Uyghur intellectuals in the 21st century. He was a Professor of Literature at Xinjiang Pedagogical University. The Chinese regime unlawfully detained Abduqadir Jalalidin in 2018 as part of its crackdown on Uyghur intellectuals. There is no news about Professor Jalalidin until today. The poem “No Way Back Road” has reportedly been written by Professor Jalalidin in his detention and has been leaked out in December 2020.
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