farouk asvat : poems: August 2014

26 August 2014

KING OF THE GUERILLAS

KING OF THE GUERILLAS

I am the king of the guerillas

I have come to fetch my name

I am not here to loiter

I have come to release Mandela

Not to bury his name

I have come to resurrect Biko

'Cause there's only a quarter hour

To get to the pad

An' this! is the last performance:

If you don't leave me

Tomorrow I riot on you

* original slang version composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid ];

# english translation: by farouk asvat: 2006.

[] acknowledgements:

King Of The Guerillas was previously published in:

A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p23, 1987); * WINNER OF THE VITA AWARD

Koning Van De Guerillas: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);

ΒΑΣΙΛΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΤΑΡΤΩΝ: Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022);

Bra Frooks … (piquant publications, p27, 2006); *

A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p23, 2007); #

https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com/2014/08/king-of-guerillas.html (26.08.2014);

https://faroukasvat-lingo.blogspot.com/2012/03/king-of-guerillas.html (27.03.2012);

Bra Frooks … (kindle, 2014); *

Bra Frooks … (amazon paperback, p11, 2014); *

A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014); #

A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p14, 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

@ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

___________________________________________________________________________

§ 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

__________________________________________________________________________

[] SLANG ORIGINAL

KING OF THE GUERILLAS

I am the king of the guerillas

I have come to fetch my name

Ek is nie hier om te lol nie

I have come to release Mandela

Not to bury his name

I have come to resurrect Biko

Wan' daa's net 'n quarter jumpas

Om by die koesta te kom

En dié is die laaste performance:

As djulle my nie alleen los

Môre riot ek op djulle

original composed: 1985 [Johannesburg, South Africa under apartheid]

Bra Frooks is ...

[] nes 'n skollie

[] 'n egte skollie

[] 'n tsotsi

[] a real scamp

[] streetwise

[] the jokerman

Bra Frooks ...

[] praat soos 'n skollie

[] wietie soos 'n joster

[] wietie what-what

[] tunes like a durbanite

[] speaks like an englishman

__________________________________________________________________________

[] KONING VAN DE GUERILLAS

Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Ik ben de koning van de guerillas

Ik ben gekomen om mijn naam te halen

Ek is hier nie om te lol nie

Ik ben gekomen om Mandela te bevrijden

Niet om zijn naam te begraven

Ik ben gekomen om Biko te doen herrijzen

Wanʼ daaʼs net ʼn quartas jumpas

Om by die koesta te kom

En dié is die laaste performance

As djulle my nie los

Môre riot ek op djulle

Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes

__________________________________________________________________________

ΒΑΣΙΛΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΤΑΡΤΩΝ

Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou

Είμαι ο βασιλιάς των ανταρτών

Ήρθα να κερδίσω tο όνομά μου.

Δεν είμαι εδώ να χασομερώ

Ήρθα να απελευθερώσω τον Μαντέλα

Όχι για να θάψω το όνομά του

Ήρθα να αναστήσω τον Μπίκο

Γιατί υπάρχει μόνο ένα τέταρτο της ώρας

Για να φτάσουμε στο τσαρδί μου

Κι αυτή είναι η τελευταία παράσταση:

Αν δεν μου το επιτρέψεις

Αύριο επαναστατώ εναντίον σου

Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou

___________________________________________________________________________

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

#bra #frooks #king #of #the #guerillas

#a #celebration #of #flames #king #of #the #guerillas

● poems @ https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com

● linkedin @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/farouk-asvat-52a6b642

● sa history @ https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/mohamed-farouk-asvat

● wikipedia @ https://en.everybodywiki.com/Farouk_Asvat

● youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDlracNOh9E/faroukasvat

● 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

19 August 2014

. . . HAUNTED BY HUNGER

POSSIBILITIES FOR A MAN HAUNTED BY HUNGER

There's one of two possibilities

Either you starve or you don't

If you don't it's okay

(You know how to survive)

But if you starve

There's one of two possibilities

Either you die or you don't

If you don't it's okay

(You know how to survive)

But if you die

There's one of two possibilities

Either you go to hell

Or you go to heaven

If you go to heaven it's okay

(You can have your own group area)

But if you go to hell

There's one of two possibilities

Either you become a boss boy

Or you stoke the whiteman's fire

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

[] acknowledgements:

Possibilities For A Man Haunted By Hunger was previously published in:

A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p18, 1987);

Mogelijkheden Voor Een Man Die Door De Honger Geplaagd Wordt: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1988);

Mogelijkheden voor iemand die wordt geplaagd door honger: (O Nag, Kom Gou, Bly Weg!: ZuidAfrikanse poëzie):

Dutch translation by V F` (kairos, utrecht, netherlands, p16, 1988);

Poetry 2000: an anthology of poems, ed T & F Oliver (hodder & stoughton, johannesburg, p209, 1996);

A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p18, 2007);

https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com/2014/08/haunted-by-hunger.html (19.08.2014);

https://faroukasvat-lingo.blogspot.com/2012/11/possibilities-for-man-haunted-by-hunger.html (20.11.2012);

A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);

A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p20, 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

@ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

___________________________________________________________________________

¨ A CELEBRATION OF FLAMES by FAROUK ASVAT ¨

§ WINNER OF THE VITA AWARD §

● 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

● 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

_______________________________________________________________________________

[] MOGELIJKHEDEN VOOR EEN MAN DIE DOOR DE HONGER GEPLAAGD WORDT

Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes

Eén van beide is mogelijk

Je lijdt wel of niet honger

Zo niet dan is het goed

(Je weet te overleven)

Maar als je honger lijdt

Is één van beide mogelijk

Je gaat wel of niet dood

Zo niet dan is het goed

(Je weet te overleven)

Maar als je doodgaat

Is één van beide mogelijk

Ofwel je gaat naar de hel

Of je gaat naar de hemel

Ga je naar de hemel dan is 't goed

(Je kunt je eigen woongebied hebben)

Maar als je naar de hel gaat

Is één van beide mogelijk

Ofwel je wordt bediende

Of je stookt het vuur van de blanke

Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes

_______________________________________________________________________________

[] MOGELIJKHEDEN VOOR IEMAND DIE WORDT GEPLAAGD DOOR HONGER

Dutch translation © by vf?`

Het is van tweeën een

Of je verhongert, of je verhongert niet

Verhonger je niet, dan is het oké

(Je weet hoe je moet overleven)

Verhonger je

Dan is het van tweeën een

Je sterft of je sterft niet

Sterf je niet dan is het oké

(Je weet hoe je moet overleven)

Maar als je sterft

Is het van tweeën een

Je gaat naar de hel

Of je gaat naar de hemel

Ga je naar de hemel dan is het oké

(Je mag je eigen groepsgebied hebben)

Maar ga je naar de hel

Dan is het van tweeë een

Je wordt baasboy

Of je dient als brandstof voor het vuur van de blanke

Dutch translation by kind permission

___________________________________________________________________________

[] ΠΙΘΑΝΟΤΗΤΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΕΝΑΝ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΩΜΕΝΟ ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΠΕΙΝΑ

Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou

Υπάρχει μία από δύο πιθανότητες

Είτε πεινάς είτε όχι

Αν δεν είναι έτσι εντάξει

(Ξέρεις πώς να επιβιώσεις)

Αλλά αν πεινάς

Υπάρχει μία από δύο πιθανότητες

Ή θα πεθάνεις ή δεν θα πεθάνεις

Αν δεν πεθάνεις, είναι εντάξει

(Ξέρεις πώς να επιβιώσεις)

Αλλά αν πεθάνεις

Υπάρχει μία από δύο πιθανότητες

Είτε πας στην κόλαση

Ή πας στον παράδεισο

Αν πας στον παράδεισο είναι εντάξει

(Μπορείς να έχεις το δικό σου ομαδικό τμήμα)

Αλλά αν πας στην κόλαση

Υπάρχει μία από δύο πιθανότητες

Είτε θα γίνεις αφεντικό

Ή θα τροφοδοτάς τη φωτιά του λευκού

Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou