12 June 2012

DO YOU KNOW

DO YOU KNOW 
© Farouk Asvat 

Do you know what you enter
When you enter these dark caves
That give name to a house
Where the mad laugh
With the knowledge of the wise;
That make men leave their burial grounds
To sweat and heave in dark tunnels
Only to come back to haunted kraals
Talking with blood in their mouths;
When you come
Into the sanctuary of this mosque
Singing hymns decorated with love
Where the muezzin sleeps
Only to cry out in pain
Chanting against usurpers
That walk like ghosts
Where once our mothers sang
Sad lilting songs of celebration;
As I sit up in bed
     - Oh these sleepless nights
       That bring forth a sewer of words -
My insane blood already coursing
Through tombs and huts of cold mud
To awaken in me these lines
Filled with a plea
As you sleep restlessly beside me
Not aware
Of the pain that lives here
Beating to the discordant rhythm
Of the troubled night,
A nation stirring from sleep
Once again
Entering into a pledge of darkness
Burnt by the fires of their own desires.
Or is that why you stay?
For even I do not know
Why you cry when I'm away
Or sob and heave with happiness
Beneath my thrusting limbs;
Yes, even I,
Who belong to the wind and the light
Do not know why you stay
To still these trembling lips
On the verge of so many tears

© farouk asvat

composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
___________________________________________________________________________    
¨ A CELEBRATION OF FLAMES by FAROUK ASVAT  
               § WINNER OF THE VITA AWARD 

""A Celebration of Flames" is a powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises from the poet's unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat's poetry lies in the way he intertwines the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang."
Vita Award citation

"Like hesitating snowflakes his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness - like unexpected strokes of a whip."
Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque, USA

"His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity, it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."
● Marcia Leveson, University Of The Witwatersrand, The Indicator

""A Celebration of Flames" (is) a powerful, impassioned call.  I admire the sanity and courage of this.  Your position and perception make you one of the few who can write on this subject without obscenity."
● Lionel Abrahams, editor Purple Renoster & Sesame

"The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: - like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."
● Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog

"you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas - you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy "
● Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan

"Out of an angry silence, a polished poet is born."
● Anton Harber, editor Weekly Mail
● WEET JE 

     Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes 

Weet je waar je binnengaat
Wanneer je deze donkere holen betreedt
Die een huis naam geven
Waar de gekken lachen
Met de kennis der wijzen;
Die maken dat mannen hun kerkhof verlaten
Om te zweten en te zwoegen in donkere tunnels
Om terug te keren naar drukke kralen
Sprekend met bloed in hun mond;
Wanneer je binnenkomt
In het heiligdomvan deze moskee
Hymnen zingend met liefde getooid
Waar de muezzin enkel slaapt
Om het uit te schreeuwen van pijn
Om te zingen tegen overweldigers
Die als geesten lopen
Waar ooit onze moeders loflied'ren zongen
Op een treurig wijsje;
Ik zit rechtop in bed
     - O slapeloze nachten
       Waar een beerput van woorden uit voortkomt -
Mijn krankzinnig bloed stroomt reeds
Door tomben en koudlemen hutten
Om in mij deze regels te wekken
Gevuld met een pleidooi
Terwijl jij reusteloos naast me slaapt
Onbewust
Van de pijn die hier leeft
Kloppend op het verstoorde ritme
Van de onrustige nacht
Een natie roert zich in haar slaap
Laat zich opnieuw
Met een duistere belofte in
Verbrand door het vuur van hun eigen begeerten.
Of blijf je juist daarom?
Want zelfs ik weet niet
Waarom je huilt als ik weg ben
Of snikkend van geluk beweegt
Onder mijn duwende leden
Ja, zelfs ik,
Die de wind en het licht toebehhoor
Weet niet waarom je blijft
Om deze trillende lippen te stillen
Aan de rand van zoveel tranen.

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes 
___________________________________________________________________________    
ΜΗΠΩΣ ΓΝΩΡΙΖΕΙΣ  

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou 

Μήπως γνωρίζεις σε τι μπαίνεις
Όταν εισέρχεσαι σε αυτές τις σκοτεινές σπηλιές
Που ονομάζονται  σπίτι
Όπου οι τρελοί γελούν
Με τη γνώση των σοφών,
Αυτό κάνει τους άντρες να εγκαταλείπουν τους τάφους τους
Για να ιδρώσουν και να κοπιάσουν σε σκοτεινά τούνελ
Μόνο για να επιστρέψουν στα στοιχειωμένα χωριά
Μιλώντας με αίμα στο στόμα τους.
Όταν μπαίνεις
Στο καταφύγιο αυτού του τζαμιού
Τραγουδώντας ύμνους στολισμένους με αγάπη
Εκεί που κοιμάται ο μουεζίνης
Μόνο για να ξεφωνίζει από τον πόνο #
Ψάλλοντας ενάντια στους σφετεριστές
Που περπατούν σαν φαντάσματα
Εκεί που κάποτε οι μητέρες μας τραγούδησαν
Λυπημένα γιορτινά τραγούδια.
Καθώς ανασηκώνομαι  από το κρεβάτι
     - Αχ ​​αυτές οι άγρυπνες νύχτες
       Που γεννούν έναν υπόνομο λέξεων -
Το τρελό μου αίμα κυλάει ήδη
Μέσα από τάφους και καλύβες κρύας λάσπης
Για να ξυπνήσει μέσα μου αυτές τις γραμμές
Γεμάτες με μια παράκληση
Καθώς κοιμάσαι ατάραχη δίπλα μου
Ανίδεη
Του πόνου που ζει εδώ
Που κτυπά στον ασύμφωνο ρυθμό
Της ταραγμένης νύχτας,
Ένα έθνος που ξεσηκώνεται από τον ύπνο
Για άλλη μια φορά
Μπαίνοντας σε μια υπόσχεση σκότους
Καμμένοι από τις φωτιές των δικών τους επιθυμιών.
Ή μήπως είναι για αυτό που παραμένεις;
Γιατί ούτε κι εγώ ξέρω
Γιατί κλαις όταν απουσιάζω
Ή κλαις φορτωμένη από ευτυχία
Κάτω από  το  σώμα μου.
Ναι, ακόμα κι εγώ,
Που ανήκω στον άνεμο και στο φως
Δεν ξέρω γιατί παραμένεις
Για να ηρεμήσεις  τα χείλη που τρέμουν
Στα όρια των τόσων δακρύων

     Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou 
___________________________________________________________________________    
[] acknowledgements:
Do You Know was previously published in:
A Celebration of Flames (donker, p55, 1987);
A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p47, 1988);
Matatu 5(3) ed g davis, m manaka (göttingen, germany, p11, 1989);
Weet Je: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΜΗΠΩΣ ΓΝΩΡΙΖΕΙΣ : Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou (2022); 
African Literature In The Eighties, Matatu 10, ed d riemenschneider, f schulze-engler,
      (rodopi, amsterdam, netherlands & atlanta, 1993);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p69, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p68, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014). 
___________________________________________________________________________    
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved. 
Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10,000 yuan (ren men bi) or US$1,500.

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the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat 
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $20 & kindle @ only $5
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#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons #of #words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#a #celebration #of #flames #do #you #know


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