SADNESS
© Farouk Asvat
Swearing
false oaths
Is
a new truth with us.
How
else
Does
my sadness meet yours,
Eyes
that could kill
Even
the happiness
That
comes to roost in my chest.
But
your life is with others.
With
others you are sad.
We
of this hour steal what we can:
My
face on the precipice of tears
Your
warm breasts
On
my quivering lips
Your
sorrowful eyes
Full
of compassion
And
the infinite sadness
That
comes into our hearts.
And
still you go away
Ever
further
As
I grow nearer to you
Why
do you not come again
Tumescent
Emptying
my sorrows
So
I could fill your hours with laughter
Oh
to hear you laugh,
Laugh
again, even once, my love
So
that I will be happy
And
you could return to your sad eyes
© 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
___________________________________________________________________________
● DROEFHEID
Dutch
translation by © Irene Scheltes
Valse eden afleggen
Is een nieuwe waarheid bij ons
Hoe anders
Kan mijn droefheid de jouwe ontmoeten,
Ogen die zelfs
Het geluk kunnen
doden
Dat op stok gaat
in mijn borst.
Maar jij
deelt je leven met anderen.
Bij anderen ben
je bedroefd.
Wij
plukken dit uur zoveel we kunnen;
Mijn
gezicht aan de afgrond van trannen
Jouw
warme borsten
Aan mijn
trillende lippen
Jouw
verdrietige ogen
Vol mededogen
En de grenzeloze
droefheid
Die in onze
harten komt.
En nog altijd ga
je weg
Verderweg zelfs
Naarmaate ik
dichter bij je kom.
Waarom kom je
niet weer
Uitdijend
Om mijn
smart te lenigen
Dan kon
ik jouw uren vullen met vreugde
O, jou te horen
lachen
Lach weer, één keer desnoods, mijn lief
Zodat ik gelukkig
zal wezen
En jij terug zou
kunnen keren naar je droeve ogen
Dutch
translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
●
ΘΛΙΨΗ
Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Η ορκωμοσία
ψευδών όρκων
είναι μια
νέα αλήθεια μαζί μας.
Πως αλλιώς
Μπορεί η
λύπη μου να συναντήσει τη δική σου,
Μάτια που θα
μπορούσαν να σκοτώσουν
Ακόμα και
την ευτυχία
Που
κουρνιάζει στο στήθος μου.
Αλλά η ζωή
σου είναι με άλλους.
Με τους
άλλους είσαι λυπημένη.
Εμείς αυτή
την ώρα κλέβουμε ότι μπορούμε:
Το πρόσωπό
μου στον γκρεμό των δακρύων
Το ζεστό σου
στήθος
Στα
τρεμουλιασμένα μου χείλη
Τα λυπημένα
σου μάτια
Γεμάτα
συμπόνια
Και την
απέραντη θλίψη
Που γεννιέται στην καρδιά μας.
Κι ακόμα
απομακρύνεσαι
Όλο και πιο μακριά
Ενώ
αισθάνομαι πιο κοντά σου
Γιατί δεν
ξανάρχεσαι
Διεγερμένη
Να αδειάσω
τις λύπες μου
Έτσι για
να μπορούσα να γεμίσω τις ώρες σου με
γέλιο,
Ω να σε
ακούσω να γελάς,
Γέλα ξανά,
έστω και μια φορά, αγάπη μου
Για να είμαι
ευτυχισμένος
Και μετά θα
μπορούσες να επιστρέψεις στα θλιμμένα μάτια σου
Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos
Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
Sadness was previously published in:
A Celebration Of
Flames (donker, p45, 1987);
A Celebration of
Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p37, 1988);
Droefheid (Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes, 1988);
ΘΛΙΨΗ : Greek
translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of
Flames (piquant
publications, p58, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p57, 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.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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 #sadness
● 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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