ASTRIT LULAJ

 

 

Monologue (S.O.S)

 

In truth...,

I know not if you will believe me...

I felt a tremor...

The earth beneath my feet shook.

And it was no earthquake.

Believe me!

The earth rotates no more,

the globe has grown old, weary of its race.

 

On the clock's face, I see no hands,

Hour zero.

On the clock's face, an empty space,

I see a planet

risking to drift out of orbit.

What fatality!

Archimedes’ challenger, at last, steps onto the stage,

imposing physical law upon the planet of life.

Arrogant.

And he tramples upon the human soul,

as long as he reigns as lord of the universe,

he, the challenger, the wicked man.

 

The wicked man sprouts everywhere,

like weeds in a field forgotten by its master,

a virus of evil spreading from his touch.

The wicked man ascends the throne

and will not easily step down.

Pity the righteous, who expects good from him.

As heavy as sin and darker than death,

the wicked truly weighs heavy

and cannot be easily uprooted...

As many times as Mother Teresa departed for "the other world,"

so many times, she returned to life as a guardian angel.

One wicked man weighs as much as a president.

 

Under his weight, the globe is crushed at the poles,

our planet spins on mere inertia.

S.O.S!—for human life,

our life is in peril.

The Earth is being overrun by the wicked.

I see people running in fear, praying each day:

—Save us, Lord! If not on Earth,

at least keep us in the galaxy!

 

Moonlit Night

 

I left the tavern, left it all behind,

Where heavy smoke and wine hung in the air;

Upon the road, so sudden, did I find

You like a breeze that met me unaware.

 

The moon is naked, glowing at its height,

Tonight, we wander, lost in blissful grace;

O mighty God, you’re poor compared tonight,

For I have claimed the heavens as my place.

 

The girl is mine, she lingers by my side,

The road is mine, so open and so free;

The moon is mine, upon the wind to ride,

Drunk without wine, that’s what I’ve come to be.

 

With wings of love, so boundless and so bright,

While people sleep and streets are silent, clear,

I pray to God to grant my days this light:

To turn them into nights with moons held dear.

 

ASTRIT LULAJ

 

ASTRIT LULAJ: He was born in Berat, Albania, on November 1, 1968, and has been living in Durrës for more than ten years. He is married and the father of three children. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering and Law from the University of Tirana, but his greatest passion has always been poetry. He has published two poetry collections: "Rrugëtimi i Shpirtit" (The Journey of the Soul) and "Mungon një…" (Something Is Missing…). Currently, two other volumes are in the process of publication. The first gathers his most recent poems written after the publication of his previous collections; the second represents his first work of poetic adaptation into Albanian of foreign poets, both classical and contemporary. He mainly writes in Albanian, but he also enjoys presenting his poetry in other languages. At the same time, he creates poetic adaptations in Albanian of works from world literature, translating them from numerous original languages, including English, Italian, Russian, Spanish, German, Turkish, Arabic, and others, with the aim of introducing and promoting these authors to Albanian readers. His poems have been published in various national and international anthologies. He actively participates in numerous literary poetry competitions, where he has received recognitions and awards from professional juries. His works have been featured in respected literary magazines and platforms both in Albania and abroad.