Love
Trough the 30 dawns of my life,
from flower to flower,
leaving all my sins aside,
by the time I arrived,
she had already left,
leaving the Supper table behind…
And I
laughed the words
inwards until yesterday
like
psychotropic fish…
It turned out 33 was too many…
Translated from Armenian by Anna Talalyan
Yearning
The shadow of color
is scaling
the scars of day;
walking the serenity
of an encountered dream…
The flower is the secret
of pain;
an introspective smile.
The scion names the sin.
Beyond personal bandages
of prayer,
the self-denial of a tree
is as much bright
as warm are the hands
of night.
I am freezing… your name.
Translated from Armenian by Harout Vartanian
* * *
The color of ink is the fear of ecstasy
with cold landscape of the night,
from its back it was appeared a sudden hand
between innocence and betrayal․
Whose papers the fingerprints are put on?
with shining after twelve.
The air trembles
like stacked night suit of doubt.
We have to wait
the nudity of dawn…
Cross yourself, Bird!
Translated from Armenian by Ani Hakobyan
*
Eduard Harents graduated from Yerevan State University, the faculty of Oriental Studies, and Cairo University’s Centre of Arabic Language and Culture. He is an author of 10 poetry collections, and has been published in a large number of both Armenian and foreign periodicals and anthologies.
Eduard is the most translated Armenian poet of all time, with his work being translated into more than 70 languages. In 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, he was awarded in the Best Poetical Series and Best Translation nominations, and 2013, the young poets first prize for the book “Lethargic Vigilance”. Awards also include: the International literary prize for poetry 2015 and 2019, and the Panorama International Literature Award 2020 (India-Italy).