UPON SEEING YOU IN THE DARK
© Farouk Asvat
Hearts
open
Like
purple four o' clocks at dusk:
Wind
upon the sail
Atlas
for the floundering ship
Illusions,
mirrors of youth,
Lie
shattered on the floor:
But
your voice picks up the wind
Sings
through bamboo reeds
Through
horn of the antelope
Like
me
You
gathered the sorrows of our people:
Tenderness
has forged a sigh into my laughter
There
are gifts in your gentleness
And
still you come
Eternally
like the wave
Dancing
rainbow of butterflies halo your black crown.
I
see you in the dark light of the room
Sensitive
theatre of the lips
Happy
like the khaki grass
Dancing
in the highveld wind
Dressed
in a splash of pink petals.
Oh
the warmth of the abdomen
The
ice of the Karoo night:
In
my naked land
You
are the protea:
Beauty,
and terror in losing you
Child
full of laughter
Natural
as the water and the stars
Come
with me
Lead
me
So
that I will regret
Forgetting
your caress,
Or
just a kiss.
I
grow tired,
Venturing
to no purpose.
Here
in the wilderness of this war
You
are the heir
To
the songs of my heart
Oh
sad and beautiful one
Natural
as the wind
© farouk asvat
composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid ]
[§] 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
● NU IK JOU IN HET DONKER ZIE
Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes
Harten gaan open
Als purperen bootjes in de schemering:
Wind in de zeilen
Atlas voor het zwoegende schip
Illusies, spiegels der jeugd,
Liggen kapot op de grond:
Maar je stem wakkert de wind aan
Zingt door bamboeriet
Door de hoorn van de antilope
Net als ik
Vergaarde jij het leed van ons volk:
Tederheid schiep een zucht in mijn lach
Jouw zachtheid is een geschenk
En nog altijd kom je
Eeuwig als de golven
Een dansende regenboog van vlinders verlicht je zwarte kroon
Ik zie je in het duistere licht van de kamer
Gevoelig theater van de lippen
Gelukkig als het kaki gras
Dansend in de wind op het veld
In roze bloemenzee getooid.
O de warmte diep in de buik
Di ijskoude nacht in het Hoogland:
In mijn naakte land
Ben jij het protea:
Schhonheid, en angst om je te verliezen
Kind vol vrolijkheid
Natuurlijk als het water en de sterren
Kom met mij mee
Leid me
Zodat het me zal berouwen
Als ik je streling vergeet,
Of enkel een kus.
Ik word moe,
Van het doelloos risico’s nemen.
Hier in de wildernis van deze oorlog
Ben jij de erfgenaam
Van de liederen in mijn hart
O jij, zo droef en mooi
Natuurlijk als de wind
Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
● ΜΟΝΟ ΣΕ ΒΛΕΠΩ ΣΤΟ ΣΚΟΤΑΔΙ
Greek translation by ©
Paulos Ioannou
Οι καρδιές ανοιχτές
Σαν μωβ τέσσερις στο σούρουπο:
Άνεμος στο πανί
Άτλας για το κλυδωνιζόμενο καράβι
Ψευδαισθήσεις, καθρέφτες της νιότης,
Ψέματα σπασμένα στο πάτωμα:
Αλλά η φωνή σου σηκώνει τον άνεμο
Τραγουδά μέσα από καλαμιώνα μπαμπού
Μέσα από το κέρατο της αντιλόπης
Όπως εγώ
Μάζεψες τις λύπες του λαού μας:
Η τρυφερότητα έχει σφυρηλατήσει
έναν αναστεναγμό στο γέλιο μου
Χορευτικό ουράνιο τόξο πεταλούδων
φωτοστέφανο το μαύρο σου στέμμα.
Σε βλέπω
στο σκοτεινό φως του δωματίου
Ευαίσθητο θέατρο των χειλιών
Ευτυχισμένη σαν το χακί γρασίδι
Χορεύοντας στον δυνατό άνεμο
Ω η ζεστασιά της κοιλιάς
Ο πάγος της νύχτας στην ερημιά του Καρού:
Στη γυμνή μου χώρα
Είσαι η πρωτέα:
Ομορφιά, και τρόμος στο χάσιμο σου
Γελαστό παιδί
Φυσικό σαν το νερό και τα αστέρια
Έλα μαζί μου
Οδήγησέ με
Για να μετανιώσω που ξέχασα το χάδι σου
Ή απλώς ένα φιλί.
Κουράζομαι,
Εγχειρήματα χωρίς σκοπό.
Εδώ στην έρημο αυτού του πολέμου
Είσαι ο κληρονόμος
Στα τραγούδια της καρδιάς μου
Ω λυπημένε και όμορφε
Φυσικέ σαν τον άνεμο
Greek translation by kind permission of © Paulos Ioannou
?????
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
Upon Seeing You In
The Dark was previously
published in:
A
Celebration Of Flames (donker, p43, 1987);
Exiles Within
(writers' forum, cape town, p2, 1985);
Dokumente Texte und Tendenzen VIII (evangelische akademie, germany, p103, 1987);
A Celebration of Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p36,
1988);
Nu Ik Jou In Het Donker Zie (#Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes, 1988);
ΜΟΝΟ ΣΕ ΒΛΕΠΩ ΣΤΟ ΣΚΟΤΑΔΙ : #Greek translation by kind
permission of © Paulos Ioannou (2022);
A Celebration of Flames (piquant publications, p64, 2007);
https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com/2012/05/every-form-of-refuge-has-its-price.html (01.05.2012);
A
Celebration Of Flames (kindle, 2014);
A
Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p63, 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.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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 #upon
#seeing #you #in #the #dark
● 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
