Why are your tears so white?
Dear, I have wept so long
That my old tears grow white like my old hair.
Why are your tears so green?
Dear, the waters are wept away
And the green gall is flowing.
Why are your tears so black?
Dear, the weeping is over
And the black flash you loved is breaking.
From the Arabic (School of Ebn-el-Farid) (thirteenth century).
White And Green And Black Tears
Edward Powys Mathers
Suggested Poems
Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.