Poem

Vera Pavlova

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Original language

Against the current of blood

Against the current of blood
passion struggles to spawn;
against the current of speech
the word breaks the oar;
against the current of thought
the sails of dreams glide;
dog-paddling I swim
against the current of tears.

© Translation: 2009, Steven Seymour

tegen de bloedstroom in

tegen de bloedstroom in
trekt hartstocht naar het paaien
tegen de spraakstroom in
breekt woord een riem
tegen de denkstroom in
varen de zeilen van dromen
ik zwem als een hond op mijn buik
tegen de tranenstroom in

© Vertaling: 2009, Nina Targan Mouravi

против течения крови
страсть на нерест идёт
против течения речи
слово ломает весло
против течения мысли
снов паруса скользят
я плыву по-собачьи
против течения слёз

From: Письма в соседнюю комнату: 1001 признание в люk
Publisher: AST Publishing House, Moscow

Vera Pavlova

Vera Pavlova

Vera Pavlova was born in Moscow. She studied at the Schnittke Academy of Music, sang in a church choir, majored in the history of music, and three years later launched her literary career with revealing poems that confronted many readers with repressed memories, concealed experiences and latent longings. Pavlova’s poetic persona put an end to the acute division that had previously been prevalen...

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Poems

Poems of Vera Pavlova

Perhaps when our bodies throb and rub

Eternalise me just a bit

Sprawling

Learn to look past

If you want, we can part with a smile

A girl sleeps as if

Why do I recite my poems by heart?

I broke your heart

Armpits smell of linden blossom

Teeth dull, veins collapsed

Close

Against the current of blood

Against the current of blood
passion struggles to spawn;
against the current of speech
the word breaks the oar;
against the current of thought
the sails of dreams glide;
dog-paddling I swim
against the current of tears.

© 2009, Steven Seymour
From: Письма в соседнюю комнату: 1001 признание в люk

Against the current of blood

Against the current of blood
passion struggles to spawn;
against the current of speech
the word breaks the oar;
against the current of thought
the sails of dreams glide;
dog-paddling I swim
against the current of tears.

© 2009, Steven Seymour

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