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
___________________________________________________________________________
●
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
___________________________________________________________________________
[] 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.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness
In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in
paperback @ $20 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
#love #literature #fiction
#novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons #of
#words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#a #celebration #of #flames #and #the #night
● poems @ https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com
● linkedin @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/farouk-asvat-52a6b642
● wikipedia @ https://en.everybodywiki.com/Farouk_Asvat
● all my books @ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat
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