Sentenced "The Quaffed" Poem by Riza Braholli

One night and no other the same:
you sang and danced and laughed;
one night, but in that old game
your body danced "The Quaffed"…

You laughed and laughed in dance
as the stars with us did dawn,
both played ‘death dance' by chance
we drank till we lay down upon.

You raised the cups of wine
"Bottoms up, Cheers! - my friend!
Let's drink and die this time,
life ends, there's no other end."

You wriggled your body and laughed
your eyes wine-glass did enter
you poured and said - "A Quaff",
in this world no death's far better."

You played and danced and laughed
till Moon and Stars wiped up;
we both were sentenced "the Quaffed"
and dawned being drowned in a cup.

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Translation from Albanian into English
By Alfred Kola
Korçë, November 4,2018