THE DARK SEA
© Farouk
Asvat
In
the lounge
A
deepak flutters
And
incense burns
To
the strange gods
Of
my youth
In
the backyard
Grey
smoke, grey rain,
And
orange flames
Devour
nostalgia
In
a bonfire of sentiments
The
wind is wet.
In
the melancholy of the shadows
The
moist timber glistens
In
the dark
In
the first light of night
I
lie down
Waiting
for the first touch,
Anticipating:
A
solitary star,
A
world of whirling clouds
The sea is dark
And your eyes are darker still,
Hiding everything.
Looking over your shoulder,
The sea glistens with moonlight
Sand stings in the wind;
Holding you,
A world of whirling clouds,
I remember worlds gone by,
Loneliness and loves ended,
A blossom of jacaranda
Falling quietly in the breast.
© 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
___________________________________________________________________________
● DE DONKERE ZEE
Dutch
translation by © Irene Scheltes
Op het erf
Grijze rook, grijze regen,
En oranje vlammen
Nostalgie verterend
In een vreugdevuur van gevoelens
In de salon
Fladdert een deepak
En wierook brandt
Voor vreemde goden
Van mijn vriend
De wind is vochtig
In de melancholie der schaduwen
Glans t het natte hout
En ik lig
In het eerste licht van de nacht
Voor de eerste aanraking,
Vooruitziend,
Een eenzame
ster
Een wereld
van woelende
wolken:
De zee is donker
En je ogen donkerder
Alles verbergend
Als ik over je heen
kijk
Glinstert de zee in het
maanlicht,
Zand striemt door de wind.
Nu
ik je vasthoud,
Een wereld van werv'lende
wolken,
Ik herinner
mij hoe werelden
vergingen
Eenzaamheid en vervlogen liefdes
En een bloesem van de jaracanda
Valt zacht jes in in mijn borst.
Dutch
translation by kind permission of © Irene
Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
● Η ΣΚΟΤΕΙΝΗ ΘΑΛΑΣΣΑ
Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Στο σαλόνι
Η λάμπα πεταρίζει
Και ο θυμιατός καίει
Στους παράξενους θεούς
Της νιότης μου
Στην πίσω αυλή
Γκρίζος καπνός, γκρίζα βροχή
Και πορτοκαλί φλόγες
Καταβροχθίζουν τη νοσταλγία
Σε μια φωτιά συναισθημάτων
Ο άνεμος είναι υγρός.
Στη μελαγχολία των σκιών
Το υγρό ξύλο αστράφτει
Στο σκοτάδι
Με το πρώτο φως της νύχτας Ξαπλώνω
Αναμονή για το πρώτο άγγιγμα,
Προσδοκώντας:
Ένα μοναχικό αστέρι,
Ένα κόσμο με περιστρεφόμενα
σύννεφα
Η θάλασσα είναι σκοτεινή
Και τα μάτια σου είναι
ακόμα πιο σκοτεινά,
Κρύβουν τα πάντα.
Κοιτάζοντας
πάνω από τον ώμο σου,
Η θάλασσα
λάμπει με το φως του φεγγαριού
Η άμμος
τσιμπάει στον άνεμο.
Κρατώντας
σε,
Ένας κόσμος
με σύννεφα που στροβιλίζουν,
Θυμάμαι
κόσμους που πέρασαν,
Τελείωσαν
μοναξιά κι έρωτες,
Ένα
ευωδιαστό άνθος γιακαράντα
Να πέφτει
ήσυχα στο στήθος.
Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos
Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
The Dark Sea was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p40, 1987);
A Celebration of
Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, usa, p33, 1988);
De Donkere
Zee:
Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
Η ΣΚΟΤΕΙΝΗ ΘΑΛΑΣΣΑ : Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p54, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p54, 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 #the
#dark #sea
● 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
● 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
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