Israel In Translation

“Sabina Messeg is a rare nature poet”, writes author and literary scholar Ariel Hirshfeld. “The existence of streams, boulders and plants are fateful for her, which differentiates her from most Jewish poets writing in Hebrew. Messeg truly sees nature as the great Other in her life. Her poetry cautions us about its tremendous beauty, complete innocence and terrible fragility.” Messeg is a particular kind of “nature poet,” though—in fact, she is considered the founder of Israeli eco-poetry. Marcela shares her love for the way Messeg’s flora act as main characters of her poems. Text: Poems from Sabine Messeg, Clil – a farm in Galilee in Mediterranean Poetry On the Extraordinary Beauty of the Ordinary, in Poetry International Rotterdam