14 February 2012

AND THE NIGHT

AND THE NIGHT 
© Farouk Asvat 

More and more
There is less and less.
And the night
Keeps tossing and turning.

And the pain.
The persistent pain
That comes knocking on my chest

And the waves.
The persistent waves
That come to soothe my heart

And the wind.
The terrible wind
That comes full of tragedy
And laughter

And the night
Keeps turning and tossing
And clouds keep unveiling the moon
Shy and tender as ever
And the night keeps singing

And the wind keeps stirring
The leaves of the night
And the sea keeps rushing
The night to end

But do not go
Do not go my love
Stay
Stay while the night is persistent
And men in uniforms
Keep coming and going
And men with bloody knives
Keep going and coming
With cold eyes

And the night
Keeps turning and tossing
And the wind keeps roaring
And the sea keeps rushing
And the pain keeps coming

And you
Keep coming and going
Like the night
And the wind
And the sea
And the pain

So come my love
Walk with me
Walk awhile
For I have wandered
And who knows tomorrow:

Friends change like seasons
And the night keeps sighing
And graves keep hearing our voices
And my heart
Keeps beating and beating
To the rhythm of the night

© 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
___________________________________________________________________________     
ET LA NUIT 

     French translation by © Jacques Alvarez-Pereyre

De plus en plus
Tout s’amenuise
Et la nuit
N’arrête pas de s’agiter.

Et la douleur. La douleur tenace
Qui tape sur ma poitrine.

Et les vagues. Les vagues tenaces
Qui viennent apaiser mon cœur

Et le vent. Le vent terrible
Qui s’en vient plein de tragédies
Et de rires

Et la nuit
Qui se tourne et se retourne sans cesse
Et les nuages qui dévoilent la lune
Timide et tendre comme toujours
Et la nuit qui continue à chanter

Et le vent à remuer
Les feuilles de la nuit
Et la mer qui n’arrête pas de pousser
La nuit vers son déclin

Mais ne t’en vas pas
Ne pars pas mon amour
Reste
Reste tant que la nuit durera
Que des hommes en safaris
Continueront leurs allers et venues
Les hommes aux couteaux couverts de sang
Qui vont et viennent
Les yeux froids.

Et la nuit
S’agite, s’agite encore
Le vent continue à gronder

La mer à déferler
La douleur à revenir
Et toi aussi
Tu continues tes allées et venues
Comme la nuit
Et le vent
Et la mer
Et la douleur aussi

Aussi viens mon amie
Marche avec moi
Marche avec moi encore un peu
Car j’ai erré
Et qui sait de quoi demain sera fait
Les amis changent comme les saisons
Et la nuit continue à soupirer
Les tombes à entendre nos voix
Et mon cœur
N’arrête pas de battre, de battre
Au rythme de la nuit.

     French translation by kind permission of © Jacques Alvarez-Pereyre
___________________________________________________________________________     
EN DE NACHT  

     Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Meer en meer
Is er minder en minder.
En de nacht
Blijft woelen en draaien.

En de pijn.  De hardnekkige pijn
Die aanklopt aan mijn borst

En de golven.  De hardnekkiige golven
Die mijn hart komen sussen

En de wind.  De verschhrikkelijke wind
Die komt vol tragedie
En vreugde

En de nacht
Blijft woelen en draaien
En wolken blijven de maan ontsluieren
Verlegen en tender als immer
En de nachtblijft zingen

En de wind blijft de bladeren
Van de zee beroeren
En de zee blijft de nacht
Naar het einde stuwen

Maar ga niet weg
Ga niet weg mijn lief
Blijf
Blijf terwijl de nacht volhardt
En mannen op safari
Blijven komen en gaan
En mannen met bloederige messen
Blijven komen en gaan
Met koude ogen

En de nacht
Blijft woelen en draaien
En de wind blijft stormen
En de zee blijft stuwen
En de pijn blijft komen
En jij
Bleeft komen en gaan
Als de nacht
En de wind
En de zee
En de pijn

Kom dus mijn vriend
Loop een poosje
Loop met mij op
Want ik heb rondgedoold
En wie wee twat morgen brengt;
Vrienden wisselen als seizoenen
En de nacht blijft zuchten
En graven blijven onze stem horen
En mijn hart
Blijft slaan en slaan
Op het ritme van de nacht

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes
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ΚΑΙ Η ΝΥΧΤΑ 

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou 

Όλο και περισσότερο
Υπάρχουν όλο και λιγότερα.
Και η νύχτα
Συνεχίζει να στριφογυρίζει.

Και ο πόνος.
Ο επίμονος πόνος
Που με  χτυπά στο στήθος

Και τα κύματα.
Τα επίμονα κύματα
Που έρχονται να ηρεμήσουν την καρδιά μου

Και ο άνεμος.
Ο τρομερός άνεμος
Αυτό έρχεται γεμάτος τραγωδία
Και γέλιο

Και η νύχτα
Συνεχίζει να στριφογυρίζει
Και τα σύννεφα συνεχίζουν να αποκαλύπτουν το φεγγάρι
Ντροπαλό και τρυφερό όσο ποτέ
Και η νύχτα συνεχίζει να τραγουδά

Και ο άνεμος συνεχίζει να ανακατεύει
Τα φύλλα της νύχτας
Και η θάλασσα συνεχίζει να βιάζει
Την νύχτα να τελειώσει

Αλλά μην πας
Μην φύγεις αγάπη μου
Μείνε
Μείνε όσο η νύχτα παραμένει
Και άνδρες με στολές
Συνεχίζουν να πηγαινοέρχονται
Και άντρες με ματωμένα μαχαίρια
Συνεχίζουν να πηγαινοέρχονται
Με κρύα μάτια

Και η νύχτα
Συνεχίζει να στριφογυρίζει
Και ο αέρας συνεχίζει να βρυχάται
Και η θάλασσα συνεχίζει να ορμάει
Και ο πόνος συνεχίζει να υπάρχει

Και εσύ
Συνέχισε να πηγαινοέρχεσαι
Σαν τη νύχτα
Και τον άνεμο
Και τη θάλασσα
Και τον πόνο

Έλα λοιπόν αγάπη μου
Περπάτα μαζί μου
Περπάτα για λίγο
Γιατί έχω περιπλανηθεί
Και ποιος ξέρει αύριο:
Οι φίλοι αλλάζουν σαν εποχές
Και η νύχτα συνεχίζει να αναστενάζει
Και οι τάφοι συνεχίζουν να ακούν τις φωνές μας
Και η καρδιά μου
Συνεχίζει να χτυπά και να χτυπά
Στους ρυθμούς της νύχτας

     Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou 
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[] acknowledgements:
And The Night was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p30, 1987);
A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p24, 1988);
Matatu 5(3) (göttingen, germany, p12, 1989);
Et la Nuit: French translation by Jacques Alvarez-Pereyre, Genève-Afrique xxvii (2), genève, switzerland, p112, 1989);
En De Nacht: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989); `
ΚΑΙ Η ΝΥΧΤΑ : Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
Broken Strings: the politics of poetry in south Africa, ed S Finn, R Gray (maskew miller longman, cape town, p129`, 1992); 
African Literature In The Eighties (Matatu 10), ed D Riemenschneider, F Schulze-Engler 
     (rodopi, amsterdam, netherlands & atlanta, 1993);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p73, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p71, 2014); 
+
AUDIOVISUAL 
Farouk Asvat in Johannesburg in the waning days of apartheid (video):
farouk asvat interviewed + reciting:
     Possibilities For A Man Hunted By SBs
     And The Night
(video by kind permission of © d s black 1992, uploaded 23 april 2016).
___________________________________________________________________________    
© 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 #and #the #night


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