We knew the world as long-held kisses & embraces / İlhan Berk

WE KNEW THE WORLD AS LONG-HELD KISSES & EMBRACES

1. Come sit down then and open your legs because you’re beautiful and you smell like a peach.
2. At our table there are horses giant birds fire escapes zebras.
3. Behind us is the quiet history the well-mannered geography the trees whose names we do not know.
4. Put your hair in order and don’t close your loins keep them wet.
5. We were in the world’s second day we brought down a deluge of rain and left.
6. We knew the world as long-held kisses & embraces.

İlhan Berk - (Madrigals)

İlhan Berk (18 November 1918 – 28 August 2008) was a leading contemporary Turkish poet. He was a dominant figure in the postmodern current in Turkish poetry (termed, "İkinci Yeni"; "The second new generation") and was very influential among Turkish literary circles.

Translated by George Messo





UZUN UZUN ÖPÜŞMELER SARILMALAR DİYE BİLİRDİK DÜNYAYI

1. Gel otur bacaklarını aç, çok güzelsin çünkü ve bir şeftali gibi kokuyorsun.
2. Soframızda atlar, kocaman kuşlar, yangın merdivenleri, zebralar…
3. Gerimizde uslu tarih uslu coğrafya, adlarını bilmediğimiz ağaçlar.
4. Sen topla ve dağıt saçlarını ve kapama kasıklarını, ıslak tut.
5. O gün dünyanın ikinci günündeydik bir sürü yağmur yağdırıp bıraktık.
6. Uzun uzun öpüşmeler, sarılmalar diye bilirdik dünyayı.

İlhan Berk - (Madrigal 3)

Photo by Bill Brandt