NURBANU KABLAN

 

 

War Tragedy

 

“Captain’s Daughter”, your father is in the war again

he is fixing the bayonet of the darkness while he is pulling down the stars

“attack” is the dirtiest word in the pocket of the ages

God doesn’t put his left hand in his pocket full of olive

the first weapon was stone, he threw it by his right hand,

and the humanity got injured

Pushkin, understand, neither this hatred nor this grudge is ending

 

oh war, the scorpion which doesn’t come out of the bosom of the history

the stuck broken record is making love with the sizzle

the world doesn’t turn by the Lili Marleen song

now the lover waiting under the lamp on the front

maybe won’t see Lili with blond hair

the words of Marleen sacrificed for Nazis are still bleeding

 

when the sons are on the front, the mothers die every day

Gorky, still and all, the mothers cry again

please listen to tired Pelageya

“leave place for love and mercy in your hearts”

hey, the grandsons of Ares, don’t kill

the daughters of Athena from whose chests the pigeons fly upwards

 

we will live Uncle Vanya, on the backs of dead soldiers

we will lead a dog’s life as the parasite of God

a mad world carrying human copies

the army of the silent people who are too sorry to say a word

if the leeches are sucking your blood

hey Chekhov, shut the door of the sixth ward

 

Dostoyevsky who wrote “Notes from the House of the Dead”

hey the doctor of the spirits, you milked words from the genetics

oppression was a practice under the heel of the rooted nature

the justice froze in Siberia, Alexander Petrovic

the peace doesn’t have a bright faced mother, it has been orphaned

for this reason, it hasn’t been overjoyed, the sun got offended

 

“war and peace” is the permanent story of the world

is it the destiny of the history, its big trouble

great Tolstoy, make the war sleep in your novel

send peace whistle, let the pigeons fly

let them carry good news for the humanity

let the bitter siren sounds be forgotten henceforth

                                                            

Translated By Serkan Engin

 

Don’t Sleep

 

Don’t sleep; I’m coming from the other side of the mountain,

from a land soaked in rain,

I’m coming from the morning frost,

Escaping the arms of longing.

 

Don’t close your eyes, the night is drenched,

The stars sulk, making the sky ache,

Whatever color it grasps, turns to black,

The weary moon sighs, lamenting its distance.

 

I’ve forgotten the color of your eyes,

Keep your window open, my dreams will enter,

Birds soaring from Gothic minarets

Will fall into your night with the toll of bells.

 

Don’t sleep, my state is not well.

I’m pregnant with the past, estranged from the present,

Yearning has overtaken me, my tongue is mute,

I kiss time on its silent lips.

 

Hang your lashes on the edge of darkness,

No path will separate you from me,

Wait for me, I’ll come, burning the ships,

Scattering the ashes within me into the sea...

 

Translated By Eylul Öztemel

 

NURBANU KABLAN

 

NURBANU KABLAN: Teacher, poet, film critic, literature enthusiast... She has published five books in Turkey: Three poetry collections — “AŞK İLE BARIŞ” (Peace with Love), “GİDERKEN ŞARKIMI SÖYLE” (Sing My Song as You Leave), and “VE DURGUN AKARDI RHONE” (And the Rhône Flowed Calmly); One novel — “PARANOYAK VE MELANKOLİK BİR AŞK” (A Paranoid and Melancholic Love); And a biographical memoir — “GAZETECİ ENVER” (Journalist Enver). Her poems have received numerous awards. In addition to her books, she continues to contribute to literary magazines.

She currently works as a teacher in France…