THERE IS A NEW SADNESS
© Farouk Asvat
There
is a new sadness
In
our voices:
Tired
and full of pain.
We
have seen it all before:
Ambulances
full of gunfire
Children
dying in the motion of playing
Smoke
and cinders in the cauldron
Of
our desires.
But
what do we have:
Stones
in our armoury,
Hope
in our breasts,
The
desire to die living
Dancing
in carnival carousels
Around
the flames of hope
And
destruction:
The
bonfire of our lives.
Just
what do we have
But
pain
Flowering
in our hearts:
Treacherous
trust of friendship,
Love
fading before the motions are over,
Friendship
dying in birth,
And
the eternal pain,
The
pain,
That
grows without eyes:
A
cracked skull
Oozing
brain,
Gnarled
trees of lust,
Surrealistic
dreams of alcoholic minds,
And
love for our land
Growing
through virgin
And
battered bodies:
So
come with your scythe,
Leave
your barren lands
And
your fertile women,
Come,
prophets of our townships,
Shebeendrunk
and godless,
Fatherless,
Born
of many fathers,
With
only one mother to suckle from,
Come,
all of you,
Dressed
in white shroud,
Black
fist raised to the skies,
In
defiance or bitterness
Or
determined predetermination,
AK
47 in the other hand,
Walk
through the mieliefields
Elephant
grass and minefields
Of
the usurped territories;
Harvest
again,
Claiming
kudu and protea
Antelope
horn and cheetah
Springbuck
and elephant
O
Nkulunkulu! O Modimo!
Help
us
So
that we may walk again
These
streets
And
these beaten paths,
Proud
of what is ours:
The
earth and the universe,
Scintillating
beachsand
Scattered
among the dark heavens,
The
whispering sea,
And
the sun,
Our
saviour and guide;
And
rain! rain!
Rain
on us
That
we may drink again
Fresh
water
Untainted
by blood
And
the sewer of human filth
© 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
___________________________________________________________________________
● ER HEERST WEER
DROEFENIS
Dutch
translation by © Irene Scheltes
Er heerst weer droefenis
In onze stem:
Vermoeid en vervuld
van pijn.
We hebben dit alles
al eerder gezien:
Ambulances vol
geweervuur,
Kinderen die sterven
in het vuur van hun spel,
Rook en sintels in de
heksenketel
van onze verlangens.
Maar wat bezitten
wij;
Stenen in ons
wapentuig,
Hoop in onze borst,
Het verlangen om
levend te sterven,
Dansend in
kermiscarrousels
Rond de vlammen van
hoop
En verwoesting:
Het vreugdevuur van
ons leven.
Wat bezitten we
anders
Dan pijn
Bloeiend in ons hart:
Verraderlijk
vertrouwen in vriendschap,
Liefde kwijnend voor
het liefdesspel eindigt,
Vriendschap die bij
geboorte sterft,
En de eeuwige pijn,
De pijn,
Die groeit zonder ogen:
Een verbrijzelde schedel
Druipende hersens,
Knoestige bomen van lust,
Surrealistische
dromen van beschonken geesten,
En liefde voor ons
land
Groeiend in
maagdelijke
Afgeleefde lijven;
Dus kom met je zeis,
Verlaat je dorre streken
En je vruchtbare vrouwen
Kom, profeten van
onze townships,
Stille drinkers en
goddelozen,
Vaderlozen,
Uit vele vaders
geboren,
Met slechts één
zogende moeder,
Komt allen,
In wit doodskleed
gehuld
Zwarte vuist naar de hernel geheven,
In verzet of
bitterheid
Of voorbeschikt door
't lot,
AK 47 in de andere
hand,
Loop door de
mielievelden
Door olifantsgras en
mijnenvelden
Van de bezette gebieden,
Haal de oogst weer binnen,
Eis kudu en protea
Antilope-hoorn en cheetah
Springbok en
olifant
O Nkulunkulu! O Modimo!
Help ons
Zodat we weer kunnen
lopen
In deze straten
Op deze platgetreden
paden
Trots op wat van ons
is;
De aarde en het universum,
Glinsterend strandzand
Over donk're hemelen
gestrooid,
De fluisterende zee,
En de zon
Onze redder en gids,
En pula! pula!
Laat regen op ons
stromen
Zodat we weer kunnen
drinken
Vers water
Niet besmet door
bloed
En de beerput van menselijk drek.
Dutch translation by kind permission of
© Irene Scheltes
● ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΜΙΑ ΝΕΑ ΘΛΙΨΗ
για τον
Φικιλέ
Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Υπάρχει μια
νέα θλίψη
στις φωνές
μας:
Κουρασμένες
και γεμάτες πόνο.
Τα έχουμε
ξαναδεί όλα:
Ασθενοφόρα
γεμάτα πυροβολισμούς
Παιδιά που
πεθαίνουν ενώ παίζουν
Καπνός και
στάχτες στο καζάνι
Των
επιθυμιών μας.
Τι έχουμε
όμως:
Πέτρες στο
οπλοστάσιο μας,
Ελπίδα στα
στήθη μας,
Η επιθυμία
να πεθάνουμε ζωντανοί
Χορεύοντας
σε καρναβαλικά καρουζέλ
Γύρω από τις
φλόγες της ελπίδας
Και της
καταστροφής:
Η φωτιά της
ζωής μας.
Τι έχουμε,
Εκτός
από πόνο
Που ανθίζει
στις καρδιές μας:
Προδοτική
εμπιστοσύνη φιλίας,
Η αγάπη
ξεθωριάζει πριν τελειώσουν
οι κινήσεις,
η φιλία πεθαίνει στη γέννηση,
Και ο
αιώνιος πόνος,
Ο πόνος,
Που
μεγαλώνει χωρίς μάτια:
Ένα
ραγισμένο κρανίο
Που στάζει
εγκέφαλο,
Παραμορφωμένα
δέντρα του πόθου,
Σουρεαλιστικά
όνειρα αλκοολικών μυαλών,
Και αγάπη
για τον τόπο μας
Να μεγαλώνει
μέσα από παρθένα
Και
κακοποιημένα σώματα:
Έλα λοιπόν
με το δρεπάνι σου,
Παράτησε τα
άγονά χωράφια σου
Και τις
γόνιμες γυναίκες σου,
Ελάτε,
προφήτες των οικισμών μας,
Μέθυσοι και
άθεοι,
Ορφανοί από
πατέρα,
Γεννημένοι
από πολλούς πατέρες,
Με μόνο από
μια μητέρα για θήλασμα,
Ελάτε όλοι
σας,
Ντυθείτε με λευκό σάβανο,
Μαύρες
γροθιές υψωμένες στους ουρανούς,
Σε πείσμα ή
πικρία
Ή σε
καθορισμένο προκαθορισμό,
ΑΚ 47 στο
άλλο χέρι,
Περπατήστε
σε χωράφια αραβόσιτου
Σε χορτάρια
και ναρκοπέδια
Των
σφετερισμένων εδαφών.
Διεκδίκα
ξανά,
Απαιτώντας
αντιλόπη και λουλούδι πρωτέα
Κέρατο
αντιλόπης και τσίτα
Γαζέλα και
ελέφαντας
Ω
Ενκουλούνκουλου! Ω Mοντίμο!
Βοηθήστε μας
Για να
μπορέσουμε να περπατήσουμε ξανά
Αυτούς τους
δρόμους
Και αυτά τα
πολυπατημένα μονοπάτια,
Περήφανοι
για ό,τι είναι δικό μας:
Η γη και το
σύμπαν,
Σπινθηροβόλος
αμμουδιά
Σκορπισμένη
στους σκοτεινούς ουρανούς,
Την θάλασσα
που ψιθυρίζει,
Και ο ήλιος,
Ο σωτήρας
και οδηγός μας.
Και βροχή!
βροχή!
Βροχή πάνω
μας
Για να
ξαναπιούμε
Γλυκό νερό
Αμόλυντο από
αίμα
Και τον
υπόνομο της ανθρώπινης βρωμιάς
Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos
Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
There Is A New Sadness was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p63, 1987);
A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p53,
1988);
Er Heerst Weer Droefenis: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΜΙΑ ΝΕΑ ΘΛΙΨΗ : Greek
translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p82, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p80, 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 #there #is #a #new #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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