Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Shota Iatashvili

THE AVIATOR

He flew off and turned out to be right:
They praised him, blessed him, bent his neck down.
He flew off again, and again turned out to be right:
They gave him a reception and didn’t grudge him bread, water and
A comb for his wing and plumage.
He flew off a third time and this time, too, he turned out to be right:
They put up with him, tolerated him.
He flew off a fourth time and turned out to be in the wrong:
They called him a silly plagiarizer of an angel.
But he still flew off a fifth time –
They fired at him,
They killed him.

DE VLIEGER

Hij vloog en bleek gelijk te hebben:
hij werd geprezen, gezegend, ze bogen zijn hoofd voor hem.
Hij vloog een tweede keer en bleek weer gelijk te hebben:
hij werd aanvaard en ze schonken hem brood, water
en een kam voor de veren van zijn vleugels.
Hij vloog een derde keer en ook deze keer bleek hij gelijk te hebben:
hij werd in hun midden opgenomen, ze verzoenden zich met hem.
Hij vloog een vierde keer en bleek zich te vergissen:
ze noemden hem een zielige plagiator van een engel.
Toch vloog hij een vijfde keer
en ze schoten hem neer,
maakten hem af.

მფრინავი

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THE AVIATOR

He flew off and turned out to be right:
They praised him, blessed him, bent his neck down.
He flew off again, and again turned out to be right:
They gave him a reception and didn’t grudge him bread, water and
A comb for his wing and plumage.
He flew off a third time and this time, too, he turned out to be right:
They put up with him, tolerated him.
He flew off a fourth time and turned out to be in the wrong:
They called him a silly plagiarizer of an angel.
But he still flew off a fifth time –
They fired at him,
They killed him.

THE AVIATOR

He flew off and turned out to be right:
They praised him, blessed him, bent his neck down.
He flew off again, and again turned out to be right:
They gave him a reception and didn’t grudge him bread, water and
A comb for his wing and plumage.
He flew off a third time and this time, too, he turned out to be right:
They put up with him, tolerated him.
He flew off a fourth time and turned out to be in the wrong:
They called him a silly plagiarizer of an angel.
But he still flew off a fifth time –
They fired at him,
They killed him.
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