A POOR MAN'S
PRAYER
© Farouk Asvat
Lord
Give a sixpence
Make a way there
Jus' a piece o' bread
An' a half-pint milk
Just like that
With the freedom
Ag please my Lord
©
farouk asvat
* original slang version composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south
africa under #apartheid ]
# english translation: by farouk asvat: 2006.
[] acknowledgements:
A Poor Man’s Prayer was
previously published in:
A Celebration Of
Flames (donker, p24, 1987);
Gebed
Van Een Arme Man: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΕΝΟΣ ΦΤΩΧΟΥ: Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou (20022);
Poetry 2000: an anthology of
poems, ed T & F Oliver (Hodder & Stoughton, Johannesburg, p209,
1996);
Bra Frooks … (piquant publications,
p20, 2006);A Celebration Of
Flames (piquant publications,
p13, 2007); #
Bra Frooks … (kindle, 2014); *
Bra Frooks … (amazon
paperback, p9, 2014); *
A Celebration Of
Flames (kindle, 2014); #
A Celebration Of
Flames (amazon paperback, p19, 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
___________________________________________________________________________
[] WIETIE WHAT-WHAT:
A POOR MAN'S PRAYER
© Farouk
Asvat
Lord
Tchee 'n zoega
Maak 'n way daa'
Net 'n stukkie brood
En 'n half pint melk
Somme' soe saam met die freedom
Ag please tog Lord
© farouk
asvat
original slang
version 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
___________________________________________________________________________
GEBED VAN EEN
ARME MAN
Dutch translation by ©
Irene Scheltes
Heer
Tchee 'n zoega
Maak 'n weg daa'
Net 'n stukkie brood
En 'n halve liter melk
Somme' soe saam met die vrijheid
Ag alstubliwft tog Heer
Dutch translation by kind permission of ©
Irene Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΕΝΟΣ ΦΤΩΧΟΥ
Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Λόρδε
Δώσε έξι πένες
Κάνε την αρχή
Ένα κομμάτι ψωμί
Και μια μισή πίντα γάλα
Κάπως έτσι
Με την ελευθερία
Ω παρακαλώ Λόρδε μου
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
#bra
#frooks #a
#poor #man's #prayer
#a #celebration #of # flames
#a #poor #man's #prayer
●
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
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