Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Shota Iatashvili

ODE TO CLOTHES


God didn’t make humans naked,
God created them with clothes.
With underwear, a dress, trousers, socks . . .
A human being is human because of clothes . . .
When he’s dressed, he thinks and expresses himself differently,
Smiles differently, loves his neighbour differently,
Believes in himself, feels himself.
Only a clothed human being keeps his hands off clothing,
Only a clothed human being paints a naked one,
Only a clothed human being sings ‘C’inc’q’aro’ or dances ‘Khorumi’.
God made human beings with hats and shoes,
Although he also made them with Pioneers’ cravats, scarves and neckties.
A clothed man gets infatuated with a woman,
Gives flowers as a present to a clothed woman and kisses her for the first time . . .
And a woman falls in love with a clothed man . . .
And, in general, if love does exist,
It is because, when he was creating humans,
God had a wardrobe ready for them.
In the wardrobe was a headscarf for the woman,
There was a veil,
There was a corset.
For the man – a surplice, a pea jacket and a tunic,
For one man shirt to be worn on the Cross . . .
God loves man both clothed and naked,
But he prefers him clothed.
God is our first true designer . . .
Once upon a time a learned man got into the bath
And discovered a law of the universe,
But that was just once.
Afterwards clothed scientists have attained new and deeper secrets of the universe . . .
Electricity, television, aviation, or the internet
Were invented by someone clothed.
Clothes are genius!
Clothes write masterpieces – with a goose quill or a computer.
Clothes write holy books.
Clothes are saints,
Clothes are aesthetes,
Clothes are wiser than the wise . . .
Every single one has his particular talent
For example, a toga is an orator, a philosopher;
A wig is a scholar or musician,
A T-shirt is a footballer, handball player or basketball player.
A man puts on a helmet
Over his head and ascends into heaven
(With sombreros – God had, apparently,
Not just hats and capes in the wardrobe, but helmets too) . . . 
Were this not so, man could never
Have placed the soles of his bare feet on the moon . . .
Peoples, first put on clothes and hats, and then rush for the cosmos . . .
First put on clothes and hats, and then let the devil take you –
Go down the mine shafts, too . . .
In the beginning . . .
I think in the beginning there were clothes,
Which He made, after
A man-clothes crosses himself,
Prayers and does namaz.
A man-clothes drinks wine
With his men-clothes friends
And converses with them about all kinds of men-clothes things . . .
A man-clothes ploughs the earth and reaps the harvest . . .
Look kindly on the dressed and behatted man, God on high!
With his shorts, his jeans, his dinner jacket, bless him!
Bless him with his slippers,
When he quietly potters about the house
Seeing to the family comforts!
Bless his braces, his briefs and long-johns.
Bless his swimming costume, too,
Because on the very same second day
By Your own great wish
You created the sea as well as the land . . .
And if this is so, bless all second-hand clothes shops,
All own-brand outlets with their sales!
Bless every tailor, cobbler, modeller.
Bless the hand of the woman who devotedly
Stitched Jesus’s shirt.
Bless, o God, clothes factories!
Bless them, for humans are human by their clothes . . .
Man lives, suffers, labours and loves by clothes,
And when he departs for a better world,
Clothes preserve him for a little longer . . .
Like a hero, he is sacrificed to the frenzied attacks of the worms . . .

God almighty, it is good, too,
That you didn’t create man naked,
Good that you made him clothed and behatted.

ODE AAN DE KLEREN

De Heer heeft de mens niet naakt geschapen.
De Heer heeft hem met kleren aan geschapen.
Met ondergoed, een jurk, een broek, sokken, …
De kleren maken de mens…
Aangekleed denkt hij anders, praat hij anders,
lacht hij anders, heeft hij zijn naaste anders lief…
heeft hij vertrouwen in zichzelf, voelt hij zich één met zichzelf…
Enkel aangekleed schudt iemand een ander de hand,
enkel aangekleed borstelt iemand een naakt,
enkel aangekleed zingt iemand ‘tsintscharo’  en danst iemand de ‘choroem’ …
De Heer heeft de mens met een hoed op en met schoenen aan geschapen.
Heeft hem zowaar met een pioniersdas, een sjaal, een strik om geschapen…
Een man maakt een aangeklede vrouw het hof,
aangekleed doet hij haar een bos bloemen cadeau, aangekleed kust hij haar voor het eerst…
Ook een vrouw koestert aanvankelijk een in de kleren gestoken man…
En trouwens, mocht de liefde al bestaan,
dan bij de gratie van de uitzet die de Heer
bij de schepping van de mens voor hem heeft voorzien…
De uitzet van de vrouw ging van een hoofddoek,
over een boerka,
tot een korset…
Die van de man van een pij over een soldatenjas tot een tsjocha …
voor een enkele uitverkorene ook een lijkwade…
De Heer heeft de mens aangekleed maar ook naakt lief,
maar Hij geeft de voorkeur aan aangekleed…
De Heer is onze eerste en waarachtige ontwerper…
Eén enkele keer lag een wetenschapper naakt in zijn bad
en hij ontdekte een natuurwet.
Maar dat gebeurde één enkele keer.
Sindsdien doorgronden wetenschappers nieuwe en diepere geheimen der natuur,
maar dan aangekleed…
Elektriciteit, televisie, luchtvaart en internet
zijn door kleren uitgevonden…
Kleren zijn genieën!
Kleren schrijven meesterwerken: met een ganzenveer of een computer…
Kleren schrijven heilige boeken…
Kleren zijn heiligen,
Kleren zijn estheten,
Kleren zijn wijzer dan wijzen…
Elk stuk blinkt uit in een talent:
een toga bijvoorbeeld laat zich kennen als orator, filosoof,
een pruik als wetenschapper of musicus,
een t-shirt als voet-, hand-, basketballer…
Een mens trekt een pak aan,
zet een helm op en doorboort de lucht…
(De uitzet van de Heer telt behalve sombrero’s,
hoeden en petten, ook helmen).
Met een ongeschoeide voetzool zou de mens nooit
een stap op de maan hebben gezet…
Kleed je eerst goed aan, zet iets op je hoofd, beste mensen, en zet dan pas koers naar de kosmos…
Kleed je eerst goed aan, zet iets op je hoofd
en meet je dan pas met de duivel… Daal dan pas in de schacht af…
In het begin…
Ik ben er bijna zeker van dat er in het begin kleren waren…
Sinds zijn schepping slaat de mens-met-de-kleren een kruis, bidt een namaz…
drinkt de mens-met-de-kleren wijn met zijn bevriende mensen-met-de-kleren
en heeft het met hen over zaken die een mens-met-de-kleren na aan het hart liggen…
De mens-met-de-kleren ploegt de aarde om en haalt de oogst binnen…
Heb genade met de aangeklede en gemutste mens, o Heer!…
Zegen hem met zijn shorts,
zijn jeans,
zijn frak inbegrepen, o Heer!…
Zegen hem met zijn pantoffels inbegrepen,
waarmee hij vredig door het huis sloft
en voor gezelligheid in het gezin zorgt!…
Zegen zijn bretels, bh’s en pantalons!…
Zegen ook zijn badkleding,
want al op de tweede dag schiep U samen
met de aarde de zee…
En weet U, zegent U dan ook maar alle tweedehandswinkels,
alle boetieken met hun koopjes!…
Zegen alle kleermakers, schoenmakers en modelleurs…
zegen de hand van de vrouw die vol toewijding
een lijkwade voor Jezus heeft genaaid…
Zegen alle naaifabrieken, o Heer!…
Zegen ze, want de kleren maken de mens…
Met zijn kleren leeft hij, lijdt hij, werkt hij en heeft hij lief…
En als hij voorgoed heengaat,
zullen de kleren hem nog even bescherming bieden…
totdat ze als helden aan de dolle aanvallen van de wormen worden opgeofferd…

Almachtige Heer, wat goed
dat U de mens niet naakt hebt geschapen,
wat goed dat U hem aangekleed en gemutst hebt geschapen!…

ტანსაცმლის ოდა

არ შეუქმნია ღმერთს ადამიანი დედიშობილა.
ღმერთმა იგი ტანსაცმლით შექმნა.
საცვლებით, კაბით, შარვალით, წინდით...
ადამიანი ტანსაცმლითაა ადამიანი....
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მხოლოდ ჩაცმული ხატავს შიშველს,
მხოლოდ ჩაცმული მღერის ”წინწყაროს” და ცეკვავს “ხორუმს”...
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კაცი ჩაცმულ ქალს უმიჯნურდება,
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იყო კორსეტი...
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და სამყაროს ერთი კანონი აღმოაჩინა.
მაგრამ ეს ერთხელ.
ამის შემდეგ სამყაროს ახალ და უფრო ღრმა საიდუმლოებს
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ტანსაცმელი ესთეტია,
ტანსაცმელი ბრძენზე ბრძენია...
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მაგალითად, ტოგა არის ორატორი, ფილოსოფოსი,
პარიკი არის მეცნიერი ან მუსიკოსი,
მაისური - ფეხბურთელი, ხელბურთელი, კალათბურთელი...
კომბინიზონი იცმება ტანზე,
თავზე სკაფანდრი იხურება და ადამიანი ზეცაში ადის...
(ღვთის გარდერობში სომბრეროებთან,
შლაპებთან და კეპებთან ერთად
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პირველად იყო...
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რაც იგი იქმნა, იმას შემდეგ
ადამიანი-ტანსაცმელი პირჯვარს იწერს,
ლოცულობს და ნამაზს აკეთებს...
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ადამიან-ტანსაცმელებთან ერთად ღვინოს სვამს
და ყველაფერ ადამიანურ-ტანსაცმლურზე საუბრობს მათთან...
ადამიანი-ტანსაცმელი მიწას ხნავს და მოსავალს იმკის...
ჩაცმულ-დახურულ ადამიანს შეეწიე, მაღალო ღმერთო!..
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დალოცე თავის ჩუსტებთან ერთად,
სახლში მშვიდად რომ დაბაჩუნობს
და ოჯახურ სიმყუდროვეს ქმნის!...
დაულოცე აჭიმები, ლიპები და პანტალონები!..
საცურაო კოსტიუმიც დაულოცე,
რადგან უკვე მეორე დღეს
საკუთარი დიადი ნებით
ხმელეთთან ერთად ზღვაც გააჩინე...
და თუ ასეა, დალოცე ყველა სექენდ-ჰენდი,
ყველა საფირმო მაღაზია თავის სეილით!..
დალოცე ყველა თერძი, ხარაზი, მოდელიორი...
დალოცე ხელი იმ ქალისა, რუდუნებით რომ შეუკერა
იესოს კვართი...
სამკერვალო ფაბრიკები დალოცე, ღმერთო!..
დალოცე, რადგან ადამიანი ტანსაცმლითაა ადამიანი...
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ხოლო როცა იმქვეყნად წავა,
ტანსაცმელი მას ცოტა ხნით დაიცავს კიდეც...
ის გმირივით ჭიაღუების გააფთრებულ შემოტევებს შეეწირება...

ღმერთო ძლიერო, კიდევ კარგი,
არ შექმენი ადამიანი დედიშობილა,
კიდევ კარგი ჩაცმული და დახურული შექმენი იგი!..
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ODE TO CLOTHES


God didn’t make humans naked,
God created them with clothes.
With underwear, a dress, trousers, socks . . .
A human being is human because of clothes . . .
When he’s dressed, he thinks and expresses himself differently,
Smiles differently, loves his neighbour differently,
Believes in himself, feels himself.
Only a clothed human being keeps his hands off clothing,
Only a clothed human being paints a naked one,
Only a clothed human being sings ‘C’inc’q’aro’ or dances ‘Khorumi’.
God made human beings with hats and shoes,
Although he also made them with Pioneers’ cravats, scarves and neckties.
A clothed man gets infatuated with a woman,
Gives flowers as a present to a clothed woman and kisses her for the first time . . .
And a woman falls in love with a clothed man . . .
And, in general, if love does exist,
It is because, when he was creating humans,
God had a wardrobe ready for them.
In the wardrobe was a headscarf for the woman,
There was a veil,
There was a corset.
For the man – a surplice, a pea jacket and a tunic,
For one man shirt to be worn on the Cross . . .
God loves man both clothed and naked,
But he prefers him clothed.
God is our first true designer . . .
Once upon a time a learned man got into the bath
And discovered a law of the universe,
But that was just once.
Afterwards clothed scientists have attained new and deeper secrets of the universe . . .
Electricity, television, aviation, or the internet
Were invented by someone clothed.
Clothes are genius!
Clothes write masterpieces – with a goose quill or a computer.
Clothes write holy books.
Clothes are saints,
Clothes are aesthetes,
Clothes are wiser than the wise . . .
Every single one has his particular talent
For example, a toga is an orator, a philosopher;
A wig is a scholar or musician,
A T-shirt is a footballer, handball player or basketball player.
A man puts on a helmet
Over his head and ascends into heaven
(With sombreros – God had, apparently,
Not just hats and capes in the wardrobe, but helmets too) . . . 
Were this not so, man could never
Have placed the soles of his bare feet on the moon . . .
Peoples, first put on clothes and hats, and then rush for the cosmos . . .
First put on clothes and hats, and then let the devil take you –
Go down the mine shafts, too . . .
In the beginning . . .
I think in the beginning there were clothes,
Which He made, after
A man-clothes crosses himself,
Prayers and does namaz.
A man-clothes drinks wine
With his men-clothes friends
And converses with them about all kinds of men-clothes things . . .
A man-clothes ploughs the earth and reaps the harvest . . .
Look kindly on the dressed and behatted man, God on high!
With his shorts, his jeans, his dinner jacket, bless him!
Bless him with his slippers,
When he quietly potters about the house
Seeing to the family comforts!
Bless his braces, his briefs and long-johns.
Bless his swimming costume, too,
Because on the very same second day
By Your own great wish
You created the sea as well as the land . . .
And if this is so, bless all second-hand clothes shops,
All own-brand outlets with their sales!
Bless every tailor, cobbler, modeller.
Bless the hand of the woman who devotedly
Stitched Jesus’s shirt.
Bless, o God, clothes factories!
Bless them, for humans are human by their clothes . . .
Man lives, suffers, labours and loves by clothes,
And when he departs for a better world,
Clothes preserve him for a little longer . . .
Like a hero, he is sacrificed to the frenzied attacks of the worms . . .

God almighty, it is good, too,
That you didn’t create man naked,
Good that you made him clothed and behatted.

ODE TO CLOTHES


God didn’t make humans naked,
God created them with clothes.
With underwear, a dress, trousers, socks . . .
A human being is human because of clothes . . .
When he’s dressed, he thinks and expresses himself differently,
Smiles differently, loves his neighbour differently,
Believes in himself, feels himself.
Only a clothed human being keeps his hands off clothing,
Only a clothed human being paints a naked one,
Only a clothed human being sings ‘C’inc’q’aro’ or dances ‘Khorumi’.
God made human beings with hats and shoes,
Although he also made them with Pioneers’ cravats, scarves and neckties.
A clothed man gets infatuated with a woman,
Gives flowers as a present to a clothed woman and kisses her for the first time . . .
And a woman falls in love with a clothed man . . .
And, in general, if love does exist,
It is because, when he was creating humans,
God had a wardrobe ready for them.
In the wardrobe was a headscarf for the woman,
There was a veil,
There was a corset.
For the man – a surplice, a pea jacket and a tunic,
For one man shirt to be worn on the Cross . . .
God loves man both clothed and naked,
But he prefers him clothed.
God is our first true designer . . .
Once upon a time a learned man got into the bath
And discovered a law of the universe,
But that was just once.
Afterwards clothed scientists have attained new and deeper secrets of the universe . . .
Electricity, television, aviation, or the internet
Were invented by someone clothed.
Clothes are genius!
Clothes write masterpieces – with a goose quill or a computer.
Clothes write holy books.
Clothes are saints,
Clothes are aesthetes,
Clothes are wiser than the wise . . .
Every single one has his particular talent
For example, a toga is an orator, a philosopher;
A wig is a scholar or musician,
A T-shirt is a footballer, handball player or basketball player.
A man puts on a helmet
Over his head and ascends into heaven
(With sombreros – God had, apparently,
Not just hats and capes in the wardrobe, but helmets too) . . . 
Were this not so, man could never
Have placed the soles of his bare feet on the moon . . .
Peoples, first put on clothes and hats, and then rush for the cosmos . . .
First put on clothes and hats, and then let the devil take you –
Go down the mine shafts, too . . .
In the beginning . . .
I think in the beginning there were clothes,
Which He made, after
A man-clothes crosses himself,
Prayers and does namaz.
A man-clothes drinks wine
With his men-clothes friends
And converses with them about all kinds of men-clothes things . . .
A man-clothes ploughs the earth and reaps the harvest . . .
Look kindly on the dressed and behatted man, God on high!
With his shorts, his jeans, his dinner jacket, bless him!
Bless him with his slippers,
When he quietly potters about the house
Seeing to the family comforts!
Bless his braces, his briefs and long-johns.
Bless his swimming costume, too,
Because on the very same second day
By Your own great wish
You created the sea as well as the land . . .
And if this is so, bless all second-hand clothes shops,
All own-brand outlets with their sales!
Bless every tailor, cobbler, modeller.
Bless the hand of the woman who devotedly
Stitched Jesus’s shirt.
Bless, o God, clothes factories!
Bless them, for humans are human by their clothes . . .
Man lives, suffers, labours and loves by clothes,
And when he departs for a better world,
Clothes preserve him for a little longer . . .
Like a hero, he is sacrificed to the frenzied attacks of the worms . . .

God almighty, it is good, too,
That you didn’t create man naked,
Good that you made him clothed and behatted.
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
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