28 August 2012

DON AND YOU AND ME

DON AND YOU AND ME
© Farouk Asvat

Pelser sent us a writ
To break the links of our love
But the chains
Linked us to our destiny
Kruger and Vorster brought us together
Don and you and me
Fire together on winter nights
We laugh at how we harass the system
Speak of love
In the cynical tongue
Passionately of hatred
For them that rule our lives
With hunger and gunfire

© farouk asvat 

composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid ]

[] acknowledgements:
Don and You And Me was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p12, 1987);
Don En Jij En Ik: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΝΤΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΓΩ: Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p27, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p16, 2014).
___________________________________________________________________________    
[§] 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
__________________________________________________________________________    
DON EN JIJ EN IK 

     Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes 

Pelser stuurde ons een oproep
Om onze liefdesband te breken
Maar de ketenen
Verbonden ons in ons lot
Kruger en Vorster brachten ons samen
Jon en jou en mij
Vuur, verenigd in winter nachten,
Lachen om het tarten van het syteem
Spreken over liefde
In cynische bewoordingen
Verteerd door haat
Jegens hen die ons leven beheersen
Met honger en geweervuur

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes
__________________________________________________________________________    
ΝΤΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΓΩ

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou

Ο Πέλσερ μας έστειλε ένα διάταγμα
Για να σπάσει τους κρίκους της αγάπης μας
Αλλά οι αλυσίδες
Μας συνέδεσαν με τη μοίρα μας
Ο Κρούγκερ και ο Βόρστερ μας έφεραν μαζί
Με τον Τζον και εσένα και εμένα
Φωτιά μαζί τις νύχτες του χειμώνα
Γελάμε με το πώς παρενοχλούμε το σύστημα
Μίλησε για αγάπη
Στην κυνική γλώσσα
Παθιασμένη από μίσος
Για αυτούς που κυβερνούν τη ζωή μας
Με πείνα και πυροβολισμούς

     Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________    
© 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 #jon #and #you #and #me


● BE A REVOLUTIONARY!

"Remember that the highest rank that the human species can reach is to be a revolutionary."
● Ernesto Ché Guevara

''Always be a poet, even in prose.''
Charles Baudelaire

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods."
 Ancient Chinese Proverb

No comments:

Post a Comment