Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Maya Sarishvili

Again the honey has gone bad

Again the honey has gone bad,
Taken into the house on the hem of a dress.
There’s a hint of grey and a taste of chintz
And something sizzles magically inside: what?
I stick my wide-open eyes in,
But still can’t see anything.
My rejoicing turns out to be nothing,
Adorning the days with banners of peals of laughter.
Only an unknowing sadness rises from me like smoke –
Stinking, choking,
And I can’t say in anyone’s presence
How my piteous sleep
Is lashed by razor-sharp shrieks,
Because every night
I wave myself about like a hatchet,
So that I can cut off as fast as possible
One more,
And again for something’s sake,
Day that’s been endured.

Mijn honing deugt niet meer

Mijn honing deugt niet meer –
ik droeg hem met opgeheven jurk het huis binnen,
nu kleurt hij donker en smaakt naar katoen.
Ik hoor wel nog iets geheimzinnig in hem sissen. Wat?
Ik duik er met open ogen in
maar ik kan niets zien.
Aan mij trekt elk feest voorbij.
Met lachende wimpels dagen plukken, lukt me nooit.
Onwetend verdriet stijgt als rook uit me op –
stinkend, verstikkend.
En niemand kan ik zeggen
hoezeer scherpe kreten
mijn schrale slaap doorprikken,
want elke nacht
slaat mijn hoofd toe als een bijl
om zo snel mogelijk
nog een dag
af te hakken
die in het teken van het leven zal staan…

ისევ ჩამქრალა თაფლი -
კაბის კალთით მიტანილი სახლში.
რუხი ფერი დაკრავს და ჩითის გემო
და ჯადოსავით შიშხინებს შიგ რაღაც. რა?
გახელილ თვალებს ვყოფ შიგ
და ასეც ვერაფერს ვხედავ.
არაფრით გამომდის ზეიმი.
კისკისების ალმებით დღეების მორთვა.
მხოლოდ უმეცარი სევდა ამდის კვამლივით -
მყრალი, მახრჩობელა
და ვერავისთან ვიტყვი,
როგორი ბასრი წამოკივლებებითაა ჩაფლეთილი
ჩემი საწყალი ძილი,
რადგან ყოველ ღამით
ნაჯახივით ვიქნევ საკუთარ თავს,
რომ რაც შეიძლება სწრაფად მოვჭრა
კიდევ ერთი
და ისევ რაღაცის ხათრით
მოთმენილი დღე...
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Again the honey has gone bad

Again the honey has gone bad,
Taken into the house on the hem of a dress.
There’s a hint of grey and a taste of chintz
And something sizzles magically inside: what?
I stick my wide-open eyes in,
But still can’t see anything.
My rejoicing turns out to be nothing,
Adorning the days with banners of peals of laughter.
Only an unknowing sadness rises from me like smoke –
Stinking, choking,
And I can’t say in anyone’s presence
How my piteous sleep
Is lashed by razor-sharp shrieks,
Because every night
I wave myself about like a hatchet,
So that I can cut off as fast as possible
One more,
And again for something’s sake,
Day that’s been endured.

Again the honey has gone bad

Again the honey has gone bad,
Taken into the house on the hem of a dress.
There’s a hint of grey and a taste of chintz
And something sizzles magically inside: what?
I stick my wide-open eyes in,
But still can’t see anything.
My rejoicing turns out to be nothing,
Adorning the days with banners of peals of laughter.
Only an unknowing sadness rises from me like smoke –
Stinking, choking,
And I can’t say in anyone’s presence
How my piteous sleep
Is lashed by razor-sharp shrieks,
Because every night
I wave myself about like a hatchet,
So that I can cut off as fast as possible
One more,
And again for something’s sake,
Day that’s been endured.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère