Ivan Djeparoski (tr. Graham W. Reid, Zoran Anchevski)


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).