The following poem was composed by Kim Stafford, former Oregon Poet Laureate (2018-2020). Kim recently published the book A Proclamation for Peace Translated into World Languages (2024; see https://www.opb.org/article/2024/09/01/kim-stafford-a-proclamation-for-peace/). Here is the poem:
A Proclamation for Peace
Whereas the world is a house on fire.
Whereas the nations are filled with shouting;
Whereas hope seems small, sometimes
a single bird on a wire
left by migration behind.
Whereas kindness is seldom in the news
and peace an abstraction
while war is real;
Whereas words are all I have;
Whereas my life is short;
Whereas I am afraid;
Whereas I am free – despite all
fire and anger and fear;
Be it therefore resolved a song
shall be my calling – a song
not yet made shall be vocation
and peaceful words the work
of my remaining days.
A Proclamation for Peace Translated into World Languages (edited by Allison deFreese and Kim Stafford) consists of translations of Kim Stafford’s poem into many languages (Arabic, Armenian, Ashaninka, Bislama, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Classical Tibetan, Danish, Dutch, Dzongkha, Esperanto, French, Gaeilge, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Kiswahili, Kurdish, Latin, Mandarin, Nepali, Newar, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Quechua, Romani, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Upper Austrian, Vietnamese, Yoruba, Yucatec, and Zapotec). Kim Stafford contacted UNESCO Chair Steven Shankman about translating the poem into modern Hebrew. Professor Shankman recruited the eminent translator Robert Alter to prepare a version of Stafford’s poem in Hebrew and UO Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Shlomo Libeskind to recite and record Professor Alter’s translation (accessible to readers of the book via QR Code).
