OLGA LEVADNAYA

 

OLGA LEVADNAYA

 

1

 

The branches squeal in the fire

of the dry apple tree.

No one opens

the wicket gate,

either of past or future.

I lie down to sleep

under the open sky

of another love,

not fearing

the poring rain

of maturity that’s come,

not the hot dry wind of the future

old age,

while you are alive,

my mother.

  

Before The Storm

 

I raised a sail

over the little old wing

of my house.

Can I see it

coming to me?

Can I hear it pulsing,

its heart

in the usual people’s bustle?

 

But someone’s dog appears,

a cautious hedgehog,

a trusting grass snake,

a neighbour’s cat…

My little wooden house

has turned into

Noah’s Ark,

saving us

from loneliness.

 

Opening Up The Great Unity

 

The streetlamps lower

in clusters of ripe

fire

over the deep

shocks

of human existence.

People hurry to hide

from the first, cautious

rain

in deep canyons of the soul.

A barefoot child is running –

he’s so far ahead

that we can’t catch him,

opening up

the Great Secrets of Unity

of nature.

 

for the home, to last a long time.

Перевод: Ричард Маккей

OLGA LEVADNAYA

 

OLGA LEVADNAYA is a Russian poet renowned in the world, she was awarded titles of the Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2008 and laureate of the State prize named after Gavriil Derzhavin in 2007, State prize named after Sajida Suleymanova in 2015. She was nominated for the “International Peace Award”. Olga is a member of the Writers Union of the Republic of Tatarstan, Writers Union of the Russian Federation and International Writers Union. She is the Art Director of the Kazan poetic theatre "Dialogue". Olga Levadnaya has written books: "My Life is  Waiting for Snow" (1992), "Passing the Enchanted Circle "(1998), "Falling up Free" (2003), "Close to our Past" (2003), "Climbing the Ladder of Thoughts" (2005), "From the Cry of Birds Memories Grow" (2005), "Star gate" (2010), "Wind of the Heart " (2014). In 2020, book "Vocal works on poems by Olga Levadnaya" was published. O. Levadnaya is the organizer of the Russian music and poetry festivals "Handshake of the Republics" (2017-2021).