KING OF THE
GUERILLAS
© Farouk Asvat
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
©
farouk asvat
* 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); #
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
___________________________________________________________________________
§ 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
© Farouk Asvat
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
©
farouk asvat
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. 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 #king #of #the
#guerillas
●
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
"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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