02 December 2014

ON THE STATION

ON THE STATION  

© Farouk Asvat  

Ol' Bronkhorst is a nice kid you know
He smokes his greens an' whites
Takes a swig now and then
But Ol' Squitana
He's a real rubbish that
He likes to drink White Horse
'Til it kicks him out the backdoor
Now he comes by the flats the other night
To beat up the kid
About a blind speech
Over so another chick
But we don't july for him
An' before the thing can still develop
The whole rush is there by us
An' Ol' Squitana had to make an out
Cap an' all
So I jus' think
Ai, its a whole crowd that lives here by the flats
A genuine extortion racket I tell the wife
An' the rent also keeps going up every month
An' she says so out of the blue
As she now goes on with her work
"We must get Mandela out"
Yes, I tell for you
The Black Power blasted the whiteys now lately
Ei! they really beat up the Boers!
Anyway I must fly
The chook-chook is pulling in

© farouk asvat

* original composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid ]
# english translation by farouk asvat: 2007 [johannesburg, south africa under new #apartheid ]

[] acknowledgements:
# On The Station / * Oppie Stasie was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p17, 1987); *
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p17, 2007); #
Bra Frooks … (piquant publications, p23, 2007); *
ΣΤΟ ΣΤΑΘΜΟ : Greek translation by Paulos Ioannou (2022)'
Bra Frooks … (kindle, 2014); *
Bra Frooks … (amazon paperback, p22, 2014); *
A Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014); #
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p25, 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:  

OPPIE STASIE  
© Farouk Asvat  

Ou' Bronkhorst is a lekker laaitie djy wiet
Hy rook sy green en whites
Vat 'n dop nou en daan,
Maa' Ou' Squitana
Hy's 'n egte rubbish daai
Hy hou van White Horse drink
Tot dit hom by die agterdeur uitskop;
Nou ja, hy kom nou die aan' by die koesta
Om die laaitie te moer
Oor 'n blind spiech
Oor so' 'n anne' cherrie,
Maa' ons july mos nie
En voo' die deng nog ken develop
Is die hele rush daa' by ons
En Ou Squitana moet 'n uit,
'Kapie en al;
Toe dink ek mos:
Ai, dis 'n hele crowd wat hier by die flats bly
'n Egte extortion racket vertel ek die vrou
Ennie rent gaan oek maa' net op elke maan'
En sy sê so uit die bloute
Soos sy nou aan gaan met haar werk:
"Ons moet vi' Mandela uit kry."
Ja.  Ek vertel djou
Die Black Power het die lahnies nou las' geblas'
Ei! hulle het die boere gechaisa!
Anyway ek moet fly
Die bomba trek in

© farouk asvat

* original #afrikaans 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
___________________________________________________________________________    
ΣΤΟ ΣΤΑΘΜΟ

     Greek translation by © Paulos Ioannou

Ο  παλιό Μπρονκχορστ είναι ένα καλό παιδί όπως ξέρεις.
Καπνίζει τα πράσινα και τα άσπρα του
Τραβάει μια γουλιά που και που
Αλλά ο παλιό Σκουιτάνα
Είναι ένα πραγματικό σκουπίδι που
Του αρέσει να πίνει White Horse
Μέχρι να τον εκδιώξει από την πίσω πόρτα
Τώρα ήρθε από τα διαμερίσματα το άλλο βράδυ
Για να κακοποιήσει το παιδί
Σχετικά με μια μυστική ομιλία
Έτσι αναφορικά με άλλη γκόμενα
Αλλά δεν τον φοβόμαστε
Και προτού ακόμα μπορέσει να εξελιχθεί το πράγμα.
Όλη η βιασύνη είναι δική μας
Και Ο  παλιό Σκουιτάνα έπρεπε να εκδιωχθεί
Καπέλο και όλα
Οπότε νομίζω
Aχa, είναι ένα ολόκληρο πλήθος που ζει στα διαμερίσματα
Μια γνήσια ρακέτα εκβιασμού λέω στη γυναίκα μου
Και το ενοίκιο επίσης συνεχίζει να αυξάνεται κάθε μήνα
Και  λέει έτσι άξαφνα
Καθώς συνεχίζει τη δουλειά της
"Πρέπει να ελευθερώσουμε τον Μαντέλα"
Ναι, για σένα το λέω
Η (Μαύρη Δύναμη) Black Power κατακεραύνωσε τους λευκούς τώρα τελευταία
Χα! χτύπησαν πραγματικά τους Μπόερς!
Τέλος πάντων, πρέπει να φύγω
Το τραίνο έρχεται

     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
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#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics#faroukasvat #weapons #of #words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#bra #frooks #oppie #stasie
#a #celebration #of #flames #on #the #station


● 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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