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THE CASPIAN SEA
From horizon to horizon
fleeting each other the foaming violet waves were running;
the Caspian Sea speaks the tongue of the winds, balam,
speaks and overflows!
Who called it "çort vazmi!"
The Caspian Sea is like a dead lake!
Boundless, unbridled, a salty water is the Caspian Sea!
On the Caspian Sea friends wander, O.....o!..
enemies wander!
The wave is a mountain
the boat is a deer!
The wave is a well
the boat is a bucket!
The boat goes up
the boat comes down,
off from
the back
of a falling horse,
up to the back
of a rearing horse
the boat rides!
And the Turkoman boatman
sits crosslegged at the helm.
On his head a huge black papak;
it is not a papak :
the fleece of a lamb torn at the belly
he has worn on his head!
The lamb's fleece has fallen over his brows.
The boat goes up
the boat comes down
And the boatman
like "a Turkoman statue of Buddha"
sits crosslegged at the helm, but don't think that
he clasps his hands respectfully in front of the Caspian Sea!
So sure of himself
with all the stone tranquillity of a Buddha statue
he sits crosslegged at the helm.
He does not look
at the waters
embracing
the boat!
He does not look
at the waters
clashing
and cleaving!
The boat goes up
the boat comes down,
off from
bir the back
of a falling horse,
up to the back
of a rearing horse
the boat rides!
- Strong blows the north-west wind strong!
Beware yourself from the wile of the Caspian Sea beware!
Let not the wind play a trick on you!
- Do not care, mom, what may come?
What may come
let it rave,
the north-west wind,
let it rave the waters,
He who has born on the Caspian Sea
shall have his tomb on the Caspian Sea!
The boat goes up
the boat comes down
goes up the bo...
comes down the bo...
up
down...
up...
1928
tr. by Fuat Engin