Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Shota Iatashvili

LEARN ME BY HEART

Learn me by heart this evening,
Then lie down and go to sleep.
In the morning, when you wake up,
Repeat it to me.
I shall lie down by your side and
I shall go sweetly to sleep,
I shall see you in my dreams with your head bent over me,
And muttering.
I shall dream of you telling me about trees, stars,
As you go out into the town and
Entrust an object to each person you meet
With the name ‘Shota’.

Learn me by heart this evening,
Then go to sleep and be all alert,
Only in the morning
Entrust me to people and things,
Prayer,
Grasses.

Perhaps I’m a poem,
Perhaps I’m a man,
Perhaps I’m bamboo.

Learn me by heart,
Or just swot me up –
That’s OK by me.

LEER ME UIT HET HOOFD

Leer me vanavond uit het hoofd.
En ga dan naar bed, slaap dan maar.
Herhaal me ’s morgens
bij het wakker worden.
Ik zal naast je liggen
en zacht slapen.
In mijn droom zal ik zien hoe je over me heen buigt
en mompelt.
Ik zal zien hoe je
de bomen en de sterren over me vertelt.
Hoe je door de stad loopt en
elke tegenligger vertelt wat je weet
over het ding, ‘Sjota’ genaamd.

Leer me elke avond uit het hoofd.
Slaap dan of blijf wakker.
En vertel ’s morgens
aan de mensen en de dingen,
aan het gebed,
aan het gras
wat je over me weet.

Misschien ben ik een gedicht,
of een man,
of bamboe.

Leer me uit het hoofd.
Of herhaal me klakkeloos,
ook dat komt me goed uit.

დამიზეპირე

დამიზეპირე დღეს საღამოს.
მერე დაწექი, დაიძინე.
დილით, როგორც კი გაიღვიძებ,
გამიმეორე.
მე ვიწვები შენს გვერდით და
ტკბილად ვიძინებ.
სიზმრად გნახავ ჩემზე თავდახრილს და
მობუტბუტეს.
გნახავ, როგორ უყვები ჩემს თავს
ხეებს, ვარსკვლავებს.
როგორ გადიხარ ქალაქში და
ყოველ შემხვედრს აბარებ საგანს,
სახელად `შოთა’.

დამიზეპირე ყოველ საღამოს.
მერე იძინე ან იფხიზლე,
ხოლო დილით
ჩამაბარე ხალხსა და ნივთებს,
ლოცვას,
ბალახებს.

იქნებ ლექსი ვარ,
იქნებ კაცი,
იქნებ ბამბუკი.

დამიზეპირე.
ან ბოლო-ბოლო დამიზუთხე -
მე ესეც მაწყობს.
Close

LEARN ME BY HEART

Learn me by heart this evening,
Then lie down and go to sleep.
In the morning, when you wake up,
Repeat it to me.
I shall lie down by your side and
I shall go sweetly to sleep,
I shall see you in my dreams with your head bent over me,
And muttering.
I shall dream of you telling me about trees, stars,
As you go out into the town and
Entrust an object to each person you meet
With the name ‘Shota’.

Learn me by heart this evening,
Then go to sleep and be all alert,
Only in the morning
Entrust me to people and things,
Prayer,
Grasses.

Perhaps I’m a poem,
Perhaps I’m a man,
Perhaps I’m bamboo.

Learn me by heart,
Or just swot me up –
That’s OK by me.

LEARN ME BY HEART

Learn me by heart this evening,
Then lie down and go to sleep.
In the morning, when you wake up,
Repeat it to me.
I shall lie down by your side and
I shall go sweetly to sleep,
I shall see you in my dreams with your head bent over me,
And muttering.
I shall dream of you telling me about trees, stars,
As you go out into the town and
Entrust an object to each person you meet
With the name ‘Shota’.

Learn me by heart this evening,
Then go to sleep and be all alert,
Only in the morning
Entrust me to people and things,
Prayer,
Grasses.

Perhaps I’m a poem,
Perhaps I’m a man,
Perhaps I’m bamboo.

Learn me by heart,
Or just swot me up –
That’s OK by me.
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