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Poem

Roni Margulies

Begane Grond

Our lift talks to me, as I go up
or down, in a gentle, protective tone.
“We are here,” she says “you may go”.
She tells me the floor we have reached,
always lets me know where I am.
 
But whenever I descend to go out
into these streets I do not belong to,
Begane grond” she intones, in a voice
which sounds to me slightly concerned,
“Here,” I think she says, “here’s the world,
 
open the door, go. And do not fret,
everyone here is as foreign as you are.
No one belongs. Not anywhere.”

Begane Grond

Begane Grond

Sevecen bir sesle, inip çıkarken
konuşuyor bizim asansör benimle.
“Geldik, inebilirsin şimdi” diyor.
Tek tek katları sayıyor geçerken.
Nerede olduğumu biliyorum hep.
 
Yabancısı olduğum bu kentte ama
bilinmedik caddelere çıkacağımda,
 “Begane grond” diyor aşağı varınca,
endişeliymiş gibime geliyor sesi biraz,
“Tamam,” diyor galiba, “işte dünya,
 
aç kapıyı, çık. Rahat olsun için,
herkes senin kadar yabancı buralarda.
Yerlisi değildir hiç kimse hiçbir yerin.”
Close

Begane Grond

Our lift talks to me, as I go up
or down, in a gentle, protective tone.
“We are here,” she says “you may go”.
She tells me the floor we have reached,
always lets me know where I am.
 
But whenever I descend to go out
into these streets I do not belong to,
Begane grond” she intones, in a voice
which sounds to me slightly concerned,
“Here,” I think she says, “here’s the world,
 
open the door, go. And do not fret,
everyone here is as foreign as you are.
No one belongs. Not anywhere.”

Begane Grond

Our lift talks to me, as I go up
or down, in a gentle, protective tone.
“We are here,” she says “you may go”.
She tells me the floor we have reached,
always lets me know where I am.
 
But whenever I descend to go out
into these streets I do not belong to,
Begane grond” she intones, in a voice
which sounds to me slightly concerned,
“Here,” I think she says, “here’s the world,
 
open the door, go. And do not fret,
everyone here is as foreign as you are.
No one belongs. Not anywhere.”
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