THE CHRISTMAS TREE

	By Zahrad
	Translated from Armenian by Diana Der Hovanession


	To prepare a Christmas tree
	you need two things.
	First the tree itself
	and then the ornaments.
	To decorate a Christmas tree 
	you need tree things.
	Beside the tree and the ornaments,
	you need hope for a string
	of good days about to begin.
	Actually to decorate
	a Christmas tree you need
	only one thing: eyes
	to change tinsel to diamonds.
	To decorate your tree
	then, take my wishes
	for the New Year: wishes
	for more illusions.


--
Diana Der Hovanessian is a Fulbright professor of American literature
at Yerevan State University in 1994 and 1999, she is author of 17
books and has published in American Scholar, Poetry, Harvard Review,
Nation, Paris Review, New Republic, and her poetry is regularly
published in the Christian Science Monitor. She has awards from the
Columbia Translation Center, P.E.N., Writers Union of America, and the
Writers Union of Armenia.