نه‌سته‌لژی Nostalgia

نه‌سته‌لژی

-         چه‌ند بیری ئه‌ستێران ده‌كه‌م!

+«ته‌نیا له‌وێ
هه‌ر ئه‌ستێره‌و‌ بۆ جێژوانێك ڕێنمایه.»
 
-         چه‌ند به‌ عه‌زره‌تی ئاسمانم!
+«ته‌نیا له‌وێ
ئاسمان ده‌ریای ئاودامانی له‌به‌ردایه»‌
 
-         بۆ بۆنێكی خواكرد شێت بووم!
+«ته‌نیا له‌وێ
هه‌ر كولیلكێك شووشه‌بۆنی سه‌ر واڵایه!‌«
 
26/2/1999- هێلسنكی
 

Nostalgia

How I miss the stars!
There alone
each star lights the way to a tryst.
 
How I long for the sky!
There alone
the sky is as vast as the ocean.
 
I yearn for that heavenly scent!
There alone
every blossom releases its essence.
 

Nostalgia

- How much do I miss the stars!
+ “only there
each star is a guide to a rendezvous.”
 
- How much I long for the sky!
+ “only there
the sky wears the sea garment (vestment) [or the garment sea]
 
- I am insane for a God made scent!
+ “only there
every blossom is an open pot of scent!”
 

If you take a look at Abdulla Pashew’s original poem in Kurdish and Mahsn’s literal translation, you’ll notice that the lines are preceded by ‘+’ and ‘-‘ symbols that are used to distinguish between the poem’s two speakers. However, in English script (unlike Kurdish) we’re able to use italicisation, a common convention in poetry, to mark the difference between two voices, which is what we’ve done here.

The ‘there’ is, of course, Kurdistan.

Sarah Maguire, Workshop Facilitator

Original Poem by

Abdulla Pashew

Translated by

Mahsn Majidy with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Kurdish

Country

Kurdistan