22 July 2014

THE PILGRIM

THE PILGRIM  
© Farouk Asvat  

Exile is a pilgrimage away.
And life
Whoring with death
Is a moment away

     Towers
     Syrup-coated in sunset
     Scintillate invitations
     To the neon night
     As chocolate leaves
     Dance in the august wind
     In the mecca of towers

     Where the prodigal pilgrim of the land
     Has found the destitute temple of his dreams
     The sanctuary of his nightmares

© farouk asvat

composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid ]
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[§] 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
■ Buy the paperback and get the kindle edition free!
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¨ 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
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● DE PELGRIM  

     Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Ballingschap is een bedevaart ver
En het leven
Hoererend met de dood
Is een ogenblik ver

     Torens
     Met siroop bedekt bij zonsondergang
     Fonkelende verlokkingen
     Voor de neon nacht
     En bladeren van chocola
     Dansen in d'augustuswind
     In het mecca van torens

     Waar de verloren pelgrim van het land
     De armzalige tempel van zijn dromen vond
     Heiligdom van zijn nachtmerries

     Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes
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Ο ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΤΗΣ  

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou 

Η εξορία είναι μακρινό προσκύνημα.
Και η ζωή
Να εκπορνεύεται με το θάνατο
Είναι μόνο μια στιγμή μακριά

     Πύργους
     Σιροπιασμένο ηλιοβασίλεμα
     Λαμπρά προσκλητήρια
     Στους νυχτιάτικους λαμπτήρες νέον
     Καθώς φύλλα σοκολάτας
     Χορεύουν στον άνεμο του Αυγούστου
     Στη μέκκα των πύργων

     Όπου ο άσωτος προσκυνητής της γης
     Βρήκε τον πάμπτωχο ναό των ονείρων του
     Το καταφύγιο των εφιαλτών του

     Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou 
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[] acknowledgements:
The Pilgrim was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p25, 1987);
De Pelgrim: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
Ο ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΤΗΣ: Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p29, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p33, 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.

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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 #the #pilgrim


● 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

#liberate #palestine
#stop #massacres
#stop #genocide

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