THE PASSIONATE TRAVELLING SUBJECT
Having decided to go somewhere
I contemplate the choice
of the best means of transport,
and inevitably fall into aporias...
Trains remind me too much
of an obsolete textile plant,
and railway lines cripple me,
deprive me of digression and sideways movement.
Semantically I disdain automobiles,
maybe because I do not like wrestling
Greek-Roman style, and hence loathe
the linguistic-sports mélange: αυτος-mobilis.
Aeroplanes do not attract me as
I am well-versed in Greek Mythology,
Though I have always regarded
Icarus’s feat with due respect.
To travel the world on foot
is rather nostalgic and sad,
that way you cannot go far away –
beyond the first blisters.
Probably because of all this
my favourite means of transport
is you, my growing love:
I am calm when I travel to you,
When I cover distances lying by you,
When I move freely over you,
when I land safely on you,
and passionately set off with your body round the world.
Translated from Macedonian by Graham W. Reid
СТРАСТНИОТ ПАТУВАЧКИ СУБЈЕКТ
Кога решен некаде да отпатувам
размислувам за одбирот
на најдоброто превозно средство,
нужно запаѓам во апории…
Возовите премногу ме потсетуваат
на застарена текстилна фабрика,
а врзаноста за шините ме осакатува:
ми ги зема отклоните и страничните движења.
Автомобилите семантички ги презирам,
можеби затоа што не го сакам ниту
борењето во грчко-римски стил, а оттаму и
јазично спортскиот меланж: autos-mobilis.
Авионите не ме привлекуваат зашто
одлично ја познавам грчката митологија,
иако, лично, секогаш со должен респект
сум се однесувал кон Икаровиот потфат.
Да се оди пеш по светот
носталгично е и тажно,
пеш далеку не се стасува –
само до првите плускавици!
Веројатно и поради сево ова
најсакано превозно средство
си ми Ти, љубов моја растителна:
спокоен сум кога патувам кон тебе,
кога безбедно се движам врз тебе,
кога безбедно слетувам во тебе,
и страстно со твоето тело
заскитувам по светот.
THE VILLAGES OF MOUNT ATHOS
“The monasteries of Mount Athos
are villages of the Holy Mother of God”
—Domentian of Chilandar
The bigger
the cities
we come from
to Mount Athos
the greater
our loneliness.
And here the monasteries
wait for us –
the serene villages of the Mother of God,
the flowery meadows
with blossoming trees.
The fragrant alleys
of monks
who piously,
in peaceful prayer,
sing like
heavenly birds.
The bigger
the cities
we come from
to Mount Athos
the greater the joy
to meet the heavenly citizens.
Translated from Macedonian by Zoran Anchevski
СЕЛАТА НА СВЕТА ГОРА
„Манастирите на Света Гора
се селата на света Богородица“
Доментијан Хилендарецот
Колку се поголеми
градовите
од кои доаѓаме
на Света Гора
толку е поголема
нашата осаменост.
А тука нè дочекуваат
манастирите –
тие спокојни
села на Богородица,
тие цветни ливади
со расцутени дрвја.
Тие мирисни алеи
од монаси
кои стамено,
со молитвен мир,
пеат како
рајски птици.
Колку што се поголеми
градовите
од кои доаѓаме
на Света Гора
толку е и поголема среќата
од средбата со небесните граѓани.
BIRD WATCHING
Times are a-changing.
New rituals were established
and new myths of
digital worlds and of
bird watching
through binoculars.
Dedicated local clubs
organize ornithology tours
with well-learned guides.
The departure is before dawn
perfect positions are sought for
in gorges, or swamps.
Besides transport
the costs include:
1 sandwich,
1 bottle of water (0.5 l.)
1 bottle of wine (0.1875 l.)
1 piece of fruit.
The only thing which is not
guaranteed is
whether birds of prey
or vultures could be seen
as it depended
on various factors.
Nuovi riti, nuovi miti.
Translated from Macedonian by Zoran Anchevski
BIRD WATCHING
Времињата се менуваат.
Настапуваат нови состојби
и нови настани:
дигитални светови и
набљудување птици
низ двогледи.
Посветени локални клубови
организираат орнитолошки тури
со добро упатени водичи.
Се тргнува пред изгрејсонце:
совршени позиции се бараат
низ клисури и мочуришта.
Покрај превозот, во цената,
по лице, е вклучен и бранч:
1 сендвич,
1 шише вода (0,5 л.)
1 шишенце вино (0,1875 л.)
1 парче овошје.
Единствено што не може
Да се гарантира е
Дека грабливките или
Мршојадците ќе се видат:
зашто тоа зависи
од многу фактори.
Нови ритуали, нови митови.
Ivan Djeparoski(b. 1958, Skopje) is a philosopher, cultural theorist, poet and translator. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. He is the author of fourteen books on aesthetics and cultural theory and five books of poetry. He was awarded the “Mlad Borec Prize” (1984), “Dimitar Mitrev Prize” (1993) and “Paradigm Prize” (2009). He has translated William Blake, Joseph Brodsky, James Joyce, David Hume, Edmund Burke, etc. He was granted the “Grigor Prlicev Award” (1993) for a poetic rendition as well as the „Miladinov Brothers” award (2017) for the best poetry book The Light of Mount Athos, written in Macedonian.
Graham W. Reid, M.A., M.B.E. born Edinburgh (1938-2015), widely translated both poetry and prose from Macedonian into English. Read English at Trinity College, Cambridge. Taught English for twenty-five years at Ss. Cyril & Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia. M.A. thesis at Bradford University on Reflections of Rural-Urban Migration in Contemporary Macedonian Poetry. Co-recipient with his wife Peggy Reid of the Struga Poetry Festival Translation Prize in 1973.
Zoran Anchevski was born in 1954 in Skopje, Macedonia. Poet, critic and translator. He received his M.A. in American literature from California State University and Ph.D. in comparative literature from Skopje University where he has been teaching Anglo-American literature. Board member of the world-renowned international poetry festival—Struga Poetry Evenings. He is also one of the leading translators of international poetry for the festival. He has published numerous collections of poetry and translations of poetry. For his work in translation he was awarded the national translation award Grigor Prlichev (2001). For his creative writing in poetry he has received the prestigious “Brothers Miladinovci” award at Struga Poetry Evenings twice (2018 and 2022).