The Art of Marxism: poetry

Four Men, Four Bottles

by Nāzım Hikmet Ran


A round

        table.
Four bottles.
Four men
and four glasses of wine -

                  Médoc.

In the glasses

                there is wine,

                there is no wine,

                there is wine,
Four men are drinking.

One bottle is empty.
One man speaks:
- Tomorrow

            I settle the matter

            with a bang.

No words wasted -

             the man

             must hang.

Three bottles are empty.
Three men answer,
three mouths answer:
- Certainly

            the man

            will hang.

A round

           table,
four empty glasses

           and four men...