14 August 2012

HEARING THE CHILDREN CRY

HEARING THE CHILDREN CRY  
© Farouk Asvat  

Hearing the children cry
Is music
To the silence of blank faces
Hearing the child in solitary
Is better than not knowing
That the child's nightmare
Is better than the cold
Silence of death

© farouk asvat

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

[] acknowledgements:
Hearing The Children Cry was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p29, 1987);
Dokumente Texte und Tendenzen VIII (evangelische akademie, germany, p166, 1987);
A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p23, 1988);
Saasm News 1(2) (saasm, boston, usa, p15, 1988);
De kinderen horen huilen: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΑΚΟΥΓΟΝΤΑΣ ΤΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ ΝΑ ΚΛΑΙΝΕ: Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p26, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p15, 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
___________________________________________________________________________ 
ΑΚΟΥΓΟΝΤΑΣ ΤΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ ΝΑ ΚΛΑΙΝΕ 

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou  

Το να ακούς τα παιδιά να κλαίνε
Είναι μουσική
Στη σιωπή των κενών προσώπων
Το να ακούς το παιδί στη μοναξιά
Είναι καλύτερο από το να μην ξέρεις
Ότι ο εφιάλτης του παιδιού
Είναι καλύτερος από την ψυχρή
Σιωπή του θανάτου

     Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou 
___________________________________________________________________________    
DE KINDEREN HOREN HUILEN  

     Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

De kinderen horen huilen
Is muziek
Voor de stilte van blanke gezichtne
Het kind te horen in zijn eenzame cel
Is beter dan niet te weten
Dat de boze droom van het kind
Is beter dan de koude
Stilte van de dood

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes  
___________________________________________________________________________    
© 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 #hearing #the #children #cry #childrencry


● 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

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