Hele woorden

Arno Bohlmeijer Translated

by

Arno Bohlmeijer

Hoe weet een gedicht nu dat het naar je toe moet komen: wanneer je hart een zwaar hoofd heeft?

Waar vind je discipline om te schrijven? Nee, die heb ik nodig om te stoppen, voor schoonmaaktaken: het huis, mezelf, het leven.

Of het leven schrijft: ‘Sla een brede straat in, raap woorden op, jezelf, en geef me zin.’

Een straat aan poëzie bracht me naar zee, het leek of ik zelf werd aangespoeld: geen zwembroek of pen, papier, niet recht of los van lijf en leden, maar een stevig en soepel gedicht mens.

Op het strand stond een publiek, ze staarden, schreeuwden en wezen alsof ik doof en dom was, of onleesbaar.

Toch niet omdat een uitstekend deel ontbrak?

How does a poem know to pave its way to you now: when the heart feels a heavy head?

Where do you find discipline to write? No, I need strictness to stop for jobs, cleaning the house or me and life.

Or life writes: “Turn into a wide street, pick up words and yourself, to feed me.”

A road of poetry took me to the sea; it felt like being washed ashore myself, no swim gear or notebook, no loose or firm limbs and skin, but a supple and sound human verse?

There was a crowd on the beach, gaping, shrieking and pointing at me as if I were deaf and dumb or unreadable!

Please, not because a significant part was missing?

Oltre il ponte

Beyond the bridge

Italo Calvino Translated by Ilaria

O ragazza dalle guance di pesca o ragazza dalle guance d'aurora io spero che a narrarti riesca la mia vita all'età che tu hai ora.

Coprifuoco, la truppa tedesca la città dominava, siam pronti: chi non vuole chinare la testa con noi prenda la strada dei monti.

Avevamo vent'anni e oltre il ponte oltre il ponte ch'è in mano nemica vedevam l'altra riva, la vita tutto il bene del mondo oltre il ponte.

Tutto il male avevamo di fronte tutto il bene avevamo nel cuore a vent'anni la vita è oltre il ponte oltre il fuoco comincia l'amore.

Silenziosa sugli aghi di pino su spinosi ricci di castagna una squadra nel buio mattino discendeva l'oscura montagna.

La speranza era nostra compagna a assaltar caposaldi nemici conquistandoci l'armi in battaglia scalzi e laceri eppure felici.

Avevamo vent'anni...

Non è detto che fossimo santi l'eroismo non è sovrumano corri, abbassati, dai corri avanti! ogni passo che fai non è vano.

Vedevamo a portata di mano oltre il tronco il cespuglio il canneto l'avvenire di un giorno più umano e più giusto più libero e lieto.

Avevamo vent'anni...

Ormai tutti han famiglia hanno figli che non sanno la storia di ieri io son solo e passeggio fra i tigli con te cara che allora non c'eri.

Curfew: the German soldiers dominating the city, we are ready: those who won’t take off their hats will take with us the mountain path.

We were twenty and beyond the bridge, beyond the now-enemy bridge, the other bank, life, all the beauty of the world, beyond the bridge.

We were twenty…

Lico

Italian English Oh, rosy-cheeked lady, oh, bright-cheeked lady, I hope you will read from my mouth what the story of my life at your age was about.

I’m not saying we were superhumans, no need to be extraordinary to be fearless run, go down, come on, run! No step taken is worthless.

Beyond the tree trunk, the bush, the reed, we then stood watching the dawn of a cheerful and fairer world finally approaching.

We were twenty…

E vorrei che quei nostri pensieri quelle nostre speranze di allora rivivessero in quel che tu speri o ragazza color dell'aurora.

Avevamo vent'anni...

In front of us the devil but our hearts, of good, were plenty Life is beyond the bridge, Love is beyond war, when you are twenty.

On pine needles and chestnut burs, in the darkness of the morning, a troop was silently walking, descending the gloomy mountain

Assaulting our enemies with Comrade Hope by our side, barefoot, exhausted but still happy, we won the battle with pride.

Now everyone has a family and children who of the past are unaware, I am here, alone, walking among lindens with you, my dear, who are not there. Oh, dawn-colored lady, I would like that those wishes and thoughts may revive in what you now hope.

We were twenty…

Göç Yolları

The Migration Roads

Murathan Mungan Translated by Aysel K. Basci

Söyleyin dağlara rüzgara

Yurdundan sürgün çocuklara

Düşmesin kimse yılgınlığa

Geçit vardır yarınlara

Göç yolları

Göründü bize

Görünür elbet

Göç yolları

Bir gün gelir

Döner tersine

Dönülür elbet

En büyük silah umut etmek

Yadigar kalsın size

Yol verin kanatlı atlara

Sürgünden dönen çocuklara

Ateşler yakın doruklarda

Geçit vardır yarınlara

Dağılsak da göç yollarında

Yarın bizim bütün dünya

Tell the mountains, the wind

And the children in exile

Not to despair

There are paths to tomorrow

Today, the migration roads

Appear before us

They certainly do

But a day will come

When those roads

Will change course

They certainly will

The best weapon is hope

It’s the only gift we can leave for you

Give way to the winged horses

And the children returning from exile

Set fire to the peaks

There are paths to tomorrow

Even if we disperse along these roads

Tomorrow, the whole world will be ours