A friend gladdens us when we are sad,
love sweetens us while we are in love.
When flowering strawberries scent the air,
when peppers ripen red in the night,
you sing and I will drink.
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
Month: April 2014
from Why Should We Part? by Kabir
Here is Kabir”s idea: as the river gives itself into the ocean,
what is inside me moves inside you.
translated by Robert Bly
Cloud by Sowol Kim
If I could make a stallion
of the crimson cloud that sails
darkened in the night,
I would fly nine thousand leagues
to be held in your arms
while you lie asleep.
But this I cannot do.
When you hear the rain fall,
take it for my tears
that I shed every night.
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
Dreams by Sowol Kim
Even dogs and fowls
have dreams to dream–so some believe.
True, springtime is good for dreaming,
yet I go dreamless.
If only I could dream
and dream till the end of my days. . .
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
Fishermen by Sowol Kim
What bliss it is to be blind to life’s futility.
Today as usual from the far-off village
a fishing boat has set out to sea, I hear–
how fearful were the waves billowing last year!
transalated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
sunday
sardines on toast
lemon water
laurel & hardy
w.c. fields
the marx brothers
all day long
who says the world is filled
with sorrow
not as long as you can laugh
popcorn and white wine
heaven at home
in this corner
of the world
Some Day by Sowol Kim
If you should call me some day
I would say: “I’ve forgotten about you.”
If you should reproach me–
“I’ve missed you much and had to give up.”
If you should reproach me again–
“I’ve forgotten because I cannot trust you anymore.”
Day after day I’ve been thinking about you
until some day I will say: “I’ve forgotten.”
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
untitled poem by Sowol Kim
I miss the place where my beloved is.
I miss her because I cannot serve her.
Don’t you ever watch a bird winging
north and south, drawn home by instinct?
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
delaying the future
there are fresh mulberries
both at the grocery
and on the corner cart
perfect to eat later
while watching detective montalbano
deal with crime in sicily
the breeze by the sea
cools as the sun burns my head
I think of hats
and sigh
afterthoughts are always
20/20
stopping by uğur electronic
then my weekly supply of candles
coffee with alex
at his shop
two chinese figurines in tow
a gift of an owl
dinner later ottoman style
since 1919
lamb with nuts
eggplant with beef
white wine from ayhan
to sip late at night
listening to southside johnny’s blues
as I sit in my chair
the cat sleeping on my arm
the weight of the world
nowhere in sight
how I will miss this
already a memory
as the future
plays forward
in time
and time is something
that doesn’t stand still
there is no delaying
inevitable change
as I limp forward
toward my tomorrows
Hope by Sowol Kim
Night comes and snow falls.
On the edge of a brook
I hear an owl hooting forever in the mountains.
Fallen leaves lie scattered under the snow.
What a bleak landscape–
a moment too late I realize
how to be wise after sorrow.
Things of this world
are an idle show,
the skin-deep beauty our mind creates.
In the sweet-scented autumn night
the trees throw twisting shadows
on leaves torn off by the lashing rain.
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
Leonard Durso 