Sunday, March 20, 2011

Nazim Hikmet


"what remains from you is a silhouette I can no longer cuddle and embrace
 although you are really exist, there at my city flesh and bones
 your red mouth which- I've been banned its honey, your big eyes really exist
 and  giving away yourself like rebellion water and whiteness of your skin which,
                                                                                                   I can not touch.."




ON  LIVING

                              Living is no laughing matter
                              You must take it very seriously
                                                like a squire- for example,
                              I mean, without expectation beyond and above living,
                                                I mean living must be your whole occupation.    
                             
                              You must take living seriously,
                              I mean, so much so and such a degree,
                              for example,- your arms tied in back,  your back against the wall,
                              or else, in a laboratory with your large glasses,                                                 
                                                and white uniform
                                                         you can die for people..
                              even for the people whose faces you never seen
                              even though nobody forces you
                              even though you know living is most beautiful and real thing                               

                              I mean, you will take seriously living
                              even at your seventies, for instance- you will planted olive trees
                                                not for the kids either,
                                                even you afraid of dying, because you don't believing dying
                                                living , I mean weights heavier
 1947



ON LIVING
II

                              Lets say, you're sick
                              considered critical
                                               surgery  a  must,
                              chances are, you may not get up  again
                                                                 from white table.    
                             
                              It is not possible not to feel the grief leaving this life so soon
                              yet you're still laugh to jokes you been told,
                              you would look out  of the window to see, if it's raining
                              or else, you will  impatiently wait the latest news                                                
                                         
                              Let's say you are fighting,  for the things worth fighting for,
                                                                            you are on the front line
                              there, at first attack, that same day it is possible falling
                                                                            down  and  dying.
                              you will aware of this with a strange anger,
                              yet you will be madly curious to find out
                              the end of the war, perhaps will last many more years.

                             Let's say, you are in jail,
                             you getting  near fifty
                             still eighteen more years to go before Iron gate to open,
                             still you live together with the outside,
                             with the people, animal, fights and breezes,
                                                     I mean, beyond the walls
                                                     I mean, where ever you are,
                                                     you never going to die, kind of living.
                                                                                          
1948

ON LIVING
III

This earth will grow cold
star among stars,
as such one of the tiniest,
a gilded particle, on blue velvet
our great earth.

This earth will grow cold one day,
neither a block of ice
nor like a dead cloud,
but like an empty walnut will roll along
in pitch darkness everlasting...

as we speak, you will grief and
                                 saddened for
such a world must be loved
to be able to say...
"I lived"
                              
1948 February




                                                    
      

                          

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