Thursday 21 March 2013

World Poetry Day, 21 March, 2013; Niki Marangou.


Today UNESCO celebrates World Poetry Day and a message from UNESCO's Director-General

I propose that it should be dedicated to the memory of Niki Marangou, the Cypriot poet and artist who tragically died in a car accident in Egypt on 7th February, 2013.







From "Roses" by Niki Marangou,
 translated by Stephanos Stephanides (Selections from the Divan, 2001):

"In company with the aphid and the grasshopper
I have planted roses in the garden this year
instead of writing poems...

we shall be sharing leaves, petals, sky,
in this incredible garden,
both they and I are transitory".


Παρέα με τov γεωμέτρη και τov κηρoπλάστη
φύτεψα φέτoς τριαvταφυλλιές στov κήπo
αvτι vα γράφω πoιήματα...

θα μoιραστoύμε φύλλα, πέταλα, oυραvό,
στov αφάvταστo αυτό κήπo
κι αυτoί κι εγώ περαστικoί.


***


My own liitle contribution:

Dodona Oracle, Easter 2000 


The leaves are not rustling,

The pigeons don't fly -

But the wild flowers are saying

"You'll live till you die."

***

I have just discovered that an In Memoriam video has already been posted on YouTube

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