Wednesday, April 27, 2011

გალაკტიონის ლექსები

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  1. Galaktion’s Two Pictures

    The vivid gaze, that pierces you and burns,
    His conscience, which to seraphs used to speed -
    From his old photo he, such a young man,
    Galaktion – with tension – looks at me.

    He’s been informed from Citsamuri* now,
    And knows – that great age, century is dead.
    It’s coming – he does feel with his gentle soul –
    The epoch of the fear and of the tremble.

    What is he going to do and how will meet
    His feelings with this new and threatening time?
    May be they’ll be refashioned, will turn sick,
    And will get filled with tunes of mournful kind?

    It is impossible that he does not sense –
    That by the merciless severe northern wind
    The army of the roses, rows of dais’s
    Are pitilessly to perishing convicted.

    He feels with fear – one sees those feelings’ throb –
    The sky-blue will be darkened and defiled,
    Expects the turmoil of the cheated mob,
    As well expects the sacred life’s decline.

    He has to heave it on himself – he knows –
    The very heavy burden of this age,
    And will resort sometimes to Esop’s dodges
    To tame this new fire-spitting dangerous rage.

    And he knows well that in his mighty lines
    He will entrust to us his soul’s alarm –
    His fast smart horses’ distant run and flight,
    Mtatsminda’s moon that never h’s been so calm.**

    You are rewarded with the bitter fate,
    And obviously you know it very well –
    Who’s there except you in your native land
    Able to express to it the best farewell?

    It’s difficult, you know, but you’ll retain
    Your tortured life and your pure spirit too,
    Appreciate though Dionis now and then,
    Who knows, maybe he’ll cheer and gladden you?

    No – devastating woe and dark black thoughts
    Laid traces on your face, filled it with lines,
    And now – a compensation, the reward –
    There on your chest - the order of this time.

    How to explain to pygmies, miserable people,
    What did your weary soul expect and need,
    How your refinement wished, how craved for it –
    In others the same attitude to meet!

    And when the weight, the burden of your life
    Became insufferably exhausting load,
    You glittered then, you sparkled for the last time,
    And came to your Mtatsminda*** to a halt.

    I know, believe – you stay now in the Eden,
    Sojourn below eternity’s high vaults,
    Above you there – the eternal light of Heav’n,
    And freedom from the earthly storm-winds’ blows.

    The heart with bitter sweetness is brim-full,
    We dream that you to all should be known well,
    And rose and daisy flower’s of your high soul
    Fill all with an eternal sweet gentle smell.



    *Here, not far from Tbilisi, social-demokrats
    (Later on the Bolshevicks) killed the noble
    man – the writer and the spiritual leader of
    the Georgian nation Ilia Chavchavadze. That
    happened in 1907.
    **Galaktion’s poem
    ****”Holy Mountain”, overlooking Tbilisi.
    There on its slope – the burial ground
    of the famous people of Georgia






    Teimuraz Chanturishvili was born on 28 July 1947 in Batumi, Georgia, the son of a professor of zoology. Educated at the Tbilisi Medical Institute, he was awarded his Ph. D. in cardiology in 1979 and held the positions of the doctor cardiologist in different medical institutions. At present, he holds such position at the Tbilisi prison hospital. He is married (his wife's name is Helen) and has 3 adult children. He is interested in translating Georgian and Russian poetry into English. He hopes his translations will excite in Marco Polo readers the same delights as among Galaktion's compatriots.



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