Friday, October 21, 2016

Poems: Chinese and Russian Romani-

Poems Found in Translation: “Anonymous: South of the Walls We Fought (From Chinese)” plus 1 more

Link to Poems Found in Translation

Posted: 20 Oct 2016 12:13 PM PDT
South of the Walls We Fought
Anonymous (Han-era)
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

"South of the wall we fought 
North of the city we died 
Dead in the wastes unburied for crows to eat — we rot 

Call to the crows for us 
Say — cry for these strangers brave and true 
Dead in the wastes to go unburied 
Their rotting flesh has no escape from you" ã€€

The water is deep  roiling and moiling
The reeds in darkness  spread and sway 
Here fearless horsemen  fought to the death
Their weary mounts  still pace and neigh 

"They've built guardposts at the bridge 
Now the people can't go north 
And the people can't go south 
We want to be loyal — but how? ã€€
How can we harvest the grain how can our master eat? 
We hoped to be loyal subjects but what can we do now?" 

"I think of you — my faithful subjects 
My faithful men — how could I not? 
At dawn — you set off to attack 
Night fell — you never came back" 

The Original, with transcription of Late Han pronunciation:


戰城南     tÉ•anh dÊ‘eÅ‹ nǝm 
死郭北     siɁ kuɑk pək
野死不葬烏可食 jaɁ siɁ pu tsɑŋh Ɂɑ kʰɑiɁ ʑiǝk

為我謂烏    wɑih ŋɑiɁ wǝs Ɂɑ
且為客豪    tsʰiaɁ wɑih kʰak gɑu
野死諒不葬   jaɁ siɁ liɑŋh puh tsɑŋh
腐肉安能去子逃 puoɁ ɲuk Ɂɑn nəŋ kʰiɑh tsiəh dɑu

水深激激    ɕuiɁ ɕim kǝk kǝk
蒲葦冥冥    bÉ‘ wuiɁ meÅ‹ meÅ‹
梟騎戰鬥死   keu giɑih tɕanh toh siɁ
駑馬裴回鳴   nÉ‘ maɁ pui É£uÉ™i mieÅ‹

梁築室     liÉ‘Å‹ ʈuk É•it 
何以南     gÉ‘i jəɁ nÉ™m 
何以北     gÉ‘i jǝɁ pǝk
禾黍而穫君何食 guɑi ɕɑɁ ɲə ɣuɑk kun gɑi ʑiǝk
願為忠臣安可得 ŋionh wɑih ʈuŋ gin Ɂɑn kʰɑiɁ tək

思子良臣    siə tsiəh liɑŋ gin
良臣誠可思   liÉ‘Å‹ gin dÊ‘eÅ‹ kÊ°É‘iɁ siÉ™
朝行出攻    ʈɑu gɑŋ tɕʰus koŋ
莫不夜歸    mɑk pu jas kui
Posted: 20 Oct 2016 03:57 AM PDT
On Her Own
By Lera Yanysheva
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

I sit at home and on my own.
I'd hoped to start a family.
The men said I was quite a lady
But years have had their way with me.

My little sisters are still young.
My baby brother is a kid.
My mother has been dead for years.
My father is an invalid.

God, what am I supposed to do? 
I can't just leave them on their own.
Who else will put bread on the table?
Who else can work? It's me alone.

I did have men propose to me.
My father wouldn't let me though —
"I'm begging you: stay for the children.
We'll end up starving if you go."

The tears keep running down like water,
A fire has burned my heart clean through.
I'm no young woman anymore.
My darling, lover, where are you?

It's pointless. I can't be with you
When I have got this family.
And I have got to think of them.
The household has no head but me.

It's awful but sometimes I think of 
Running off with a gadjo man!
You girls are raising your own girls now
And I'm stuck at a market-stand.

Here men all look at me with pity
And mutter "goddamn tragedy"
And my black hair begins to whiten.
Here I am getting...elderly.

The tears keep running hot as water
Oh God! What could I do but give....
I'm old now, after what I've lived through, 
But never had a life to live. 

The Original:

Екхджины
Лера Янышева

Бэшав дро кхэр мэ екхджины    
Мэ палором ґара камава.
Сарэ ракирнас: мэ раны
Нэ о бэрша мирэ прастана.

Сы мандэ тыкнорэ пхэня
И мандэ пшал сы набаро.
О дай мири ґара мэя,
Э дад пхуро сы насвало.

Со ж мангэ Дэвла тэ кэрав?
Семьятыр тэ уджяв нашты.
Янава мэ кхэрэ тэ хав.
Мэ екхджины кэрав буты.

Рома явнэ кэ мэ сватэнца.
На отмэктя ман дад миро:
«Мангава тут мэ чяворэнца,
Амэнгэ битыро пхаро».

Ясва прастана сыр паны,
Ягаса о ило хачёл.
И мэ ґара на сом тэрны.
Кай, кайжэ ту, миро лачё?

Да, палэ тутэ мэ на джява,
Ведь мандэ семица бари.
И палэ лэн мэ думинава,
Ведь мэ дро семья хуланы.

Чяялэ, ладжяво признаться,
Гаджеса мэ бы унастём!
Сарэ чяя барэ чявэнца
А мэ про тарго ходиндём.

Сарэ рома пэ ман дыкхэна,
Пхэнэн, со мэ бибахталы.
Мирэ калэ бала парнёна,
Тэ и кана мэ пхураны.

Ясва прастана сыр паны.
О Дэвла! Семья захая!
И мэ дыкхав, со мэ пхури.
О джиипэн захасия!
Jekhdžinî
Lera Janîševa

Bešav dro kher me jekhdžinî,
Me palorom ghara kamáva.
Sare rakírnas me ranî,
Ne o berša mire prastána.

Sî mánde tîknoré phenja
I mánde pšal sî nabaro.
O daj miri ghara meja.
E dad phuro sî nasvalo.

So ž mánge Dévla te kerav?
Sjemjátîr te udžav naštî.
Janáva me khere te xav.
Me jekhdžinî kerav butî.

Roma javne ke me svaténca.
Na otmektja man dad miro:
"Mangáva tut me čavorénca,
Aménge bitîró pharo."

Jasva prastána sîr panî,
Jagása o ilo xačol.
I me ghara na som ternî.
Kaj, kaj že tu, miro lačo?

Da, pále túte me na džáva,
Vjedj mánde sjémjica bari.
I pále len me dumináva,
Vjedj me dro sjémja xulanî.

Čajále, ladžavo priznátsa,
Gadžésa me bî unastjom.
Sare čaja bare čavénca,
A me pro tárgo xodindjom.

Sare roma pe man dîkhéna,
Phenen, so me bibaxtalî.
Mire kale bala parnjóna,
Te i kana me phuranî.

Jasva prastána sîr panî.
O, Dévla! Sjémja zaxaja!
I me dîkháv, so me phuri.
O džiipen zaxasija!

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