Poem
Sargon Boulus
HOW EASTERN SINGING WAS BORN
ProphetI brace myself
Turn my face to flashes of lightning
Rave and wait until
The waves leave me
Chained to a rock
On an unknown coast
Book
Open the Book of Time
With trembling fingers and read
This is your life, pegged to time
With the short hair. Like a woman
It wants to disclose
Each and every secret
To you
God
God wanted
To be clear to the world:
Mankind is pre-ordained to wander
In dark, depressing alleys
For ever.
Lute
It happened
That one of them gave
This lute and taught me to sing
With a cracked voice
© Translation: 2007, Kees Nijland
Publisher: Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam, 2007
Publisher: Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam, 2007
HOE IS HET OOSTERSE LIED ONTSTAAN
ProfeetIk verman me.
Het gezicht naar de bliksem gekeerd
raas ik tot de golf mij
op een onbekende kust
aan een rots geketend
achterlaat.
Boek
Open het boek van de tijd
met trillende vingers en lees,
dat is je leven, met de haren vastgepind
aan de tijd. Als een vrouw
wil hij jou
alle geheimen
vertellen
God
God wilde
dat het de wereld duidelijk werd:
tot in de eeuwigheid
moet de mens
in duistere, nare stegen dwalen
Luit
Toen gebeurde het
dat iemand mij
deze luit gaf en mij leerde zingen
© Vertaling: 2007, Kees Nijland
© 2007, Sargon Boulus
Publisher: First published on PIW, Rotterdam
Publisher: First published on PIW, Rotterdam
Poems
Poems of Sargon Boulus
Close
HOW EASTERN SINGING WAS BORN
ProphetI brace myself
Turn my face to flashes of lightning
Rave and wait until
The waves leave me
Chained to a rock
On an unknown coast
Book
Open the Book of Time
With trembling fingers and read
This is your life, pegged to time
With the short hair. Like a woman
It wants to disclose
Each and every secret
To you
God
God wanted
To be clear to the world:
Mankind is pre-ordained to wander
In dark, depressing alleys
For ever.
Lute
It happened
That one of them gave
This lute and taught me to sing
With a cracked voice
© 2007, Kees Nijland
Publisher: 2007, Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam
Publisher: 2007, Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam
HOW EASTERN SINGING WAS BORN
ProphetI brace myself
Turn my face to flashes of lightning
Rave and wait until
The waves leave me
Chained to a rock
On an unknown coast
Book
Open the Book of Time
With trembling fingers and read
This is your life, pegged to time
With the short hair. Like a woman
It wants to disclose
Each and every secret
To you
God
God wanted
To be clear to the world:
Mankind is pre-ordained to wander
In dark, depressing alleys
For ever.
Lute
It happened
That one of them gave
This lute and taught me to sing
With a cracked voice
© 2007, Kees Nijland
Publisher: 2007, Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam
Publisher: 2007, Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam
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