Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rati Amaghlobeli

TO DACHI


When you tremble and with your
One-week-old hands seek space –
I truly know God exists,
Who protects you, who rocks
Your bed of dreams and lives in
Your heartbeat, as through from the earth
You emitted the sounds of a soaring dove
Sweetly cooing, and the holy spirit
Moulds your face from past years.
You are as tender as my heart,
And for the first time I have understood
What this word child means, from the beginning
I carry the experience of a father in me.
Thus every sound or word
That was ever spoken on earth
From the beginning, and before that,
Will begin in you, as a separate part,
Life, breathing, will start an invisible
Conversation with you, and will direct
Movement from within outwards, from without inwards,
In the form of thought, or as a book,
By impressions, by dream, in the same way
By contemplating objects, because the world
Is full of words, and these words
Are you above all, you will ask words
For advice about themselves,
You will open up words, you will push words open,
Like a gate between death and life,
You will distinguish their respective value,
Form, content, outward and inward,
Every plant, how it wafts,
You will sense animals, the birds’ song
Will be for you a unity
Beyond words of existing spirit,
Someone or something that is utterly unlike,
This is like perception, breathing,
Which words have failed to express,
Just as at one glance
At your insignificant hands groping,
Your purposeless gaze seeking space,
Straight away I shall tell you, as for
This activity of yours, that I keep waiting.

It has immeasurable meaning,
Because I have realised what ‘son’ means,
What ‘father’ means, what existing
With you means, and then perceiving in you
Soul being given to your vessel,
When you tremble and with your one-
Week-old hands search for space,
I truly know God exists
And beats in your heart.

VOOR DATSJI

Als een siddering door je heen trekt
en je met je een week oude handen
de ruimte aftast –
dan weet ik dat God bestaat,
een God die je beschermt,
een God die je bed van dromen wiegt
en die in het kloppen van je hart woont
als het warme gekir van een opvliegende duif,
en de Heilige Geest je gezicht kneedt.
Ik koester je als mijn eigen hart
en voor het eerst begrijp ik het woord kind
en groeit het woord vader in me.
En zo zal elke klank of elk woord
dat ooit op de aarde is gesproken
sinds het begin of nog daarvoor,
in jou tot leven komen,
ademen, een geheim gesprek met je aangaan,
in jou zijn weg zoeken van binnen naar buiten,
en binnendringend van buiten naar binnen
me vergezellen in de vorm van een gedachte of een boek,
een indruk, een droom, aandacht voor de dingen,
want de wereld is vol woorden en die woorden
die ben jij, je kunt de woorden vragen stellen,
ze over zichzelf laten vertellen,
je kunt ze openbreken, op een kier zetten
als vormden ze de poort tussen dood en leven,
je leert façades, vormen, inhoud,
buiten- en binnenkant van elkaar te onderscheiden,
van elke plant leer je hoe die licht ademt,
elk dier voel je aan, of vogelgezang,
alles valt samen met de ziel
die achter het woord schuilt
en zijn gelijke niet heeft,
zoals voelen of ademen,
die we met woorden niet kunnen beschrijven,
net zoals het op het eerste zicht
betekenisloze rondtasten van je handen,
de doelloze blik waarmee je de ruimte afspeurt,
handelingen van grenzeloos belang zijn,
want nu begrijp ik wat zoon betekent,
wat vader betekent, wat het betekent
bij jou te zijn en te voelen
hoe je vlees de ziel ontvangt,
als een siddering door je heen trekt
en je met je een week oude handen
de ruimte aftast,
God echt bestaat
en in je hart klopt.

Close

TO DACHI


When you tremble and with your
One-week-old hands seek space –
I truly know God exists,
Who protects you, who rocks
Your bed of dreams and lives in
Your heartbeat, as through from the earth
You emitted the sounds of a soaring dove
Sweetly cooing, and the holy spirit
Moulds your face from past years.
You are as tender as my heart,
And for the first time I have understood
What this word child means, from the beginning
I carry the experience of a father in me.
Thus every sound or word
That was ever spoken on earth
From the beginning, and before that,
Will begin in you, as a separate part,
Life, breathing, will start an invisible
Conversation with you, and will direct
Movement from within outwards, from without inwards,
In the form of thought, or as a book,
By impressions, by dream, in the same way
By contemplating objects, because the world
Is full of words, and these words
Are you above all, you will ask words
For advice about themselves,
You will open up words, you will push words open,
Like a gate between death and life,
You will distinguish their respective value,
Form, content, outward and inward,
Every plant, how it wafts,
You will sense animals, the birds’ song
Will be for you a unity
Beyond words of existing spirit,
Someone or something that is utterly unlike,
This is like perception, breathing,
Which words have failed to express,
Just as at one glance
At your insignificant hands groping,
Your purposeless gaze seeking space,
Straight away I shall tell you, as for
This activity of yours, that I keep waiting.

It has immeasurable meaning,
Because I have realised what ‘son’ means,
What ‘father’ means, what existing
With you means, and then perceiving in you
Soul being given to your vessel,
When you tremble and with your one-
Week-old hands search for space,
I truly know God exists
And beats in your heart.

TO DACHI


When you tremble and with your
One-week-old hands seek space –
I truly know God exists,
Who protects you, who rocks
Your bed of dreams and lives in
Your heartbeat, as through from the earth
You emitted the sounds of a soaring dove
Sweetly cooing, and the holy spirit
Moulds your face from past years.
You are as tender as my heart,
And for the first time I have understood
What this word child means, from the beginning
I carry the experience of a father in me.
Thus every sound or word
That was ever spoken on earth
From the beginning, and before that,
Will begin in you, as a separate part,
Life, breathing, will start an invisible
Conversation with you, and will direct
Movement from within outwards, from without inwards,
In the form of thought, or as a book,
By impressions, by dream, in the same way
By contemplating objects, because the world
Is full of words, and these words
Are you above all, you will ask words
For advice about themselves,
You will open up words, you will push words open,
Like a gate between death and life,
You will distinguish their respective value,
Form, content, outward and inward,
Every plant, how it wafts,
You will sense animals, the birds’ song
Will be for you a unity
Beyond words of existing spirit,
Someone or something that is utterly unlike,
This is like perception, breathing,
Which words have failed to express,
Just as at one glance
At your insignificant hands groping,
Your purposeless gaze seeking space,
Straight away I shall tell you, as for
This activity of yours, that I keep waiting.

It has immeasurable meaning,
Because I have realised what ‘son’ means,
What ‘father’ means, what existing
With you means, and then perceiving in you
Soul being given to your vessel,
When you tremble and with your one-
Week-old hands search for space,
I truly know God exists
And beats in your heart.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère