Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Maya Sarishvili

There was one joy –

There was one joy –
I sat on his lap
And into my eyes
He spilled juice from the orange peel.
Then he forgot me,
When he lit a cigarette
But I still could not walk very well,
I came sliding off his lap
And pressed my cheek to his shoe.
How different is the sound under the table
Of guests’ voices,
Muffled sounds.
Muffled space.
Barely,
Barely had my eyelashes
Dried from the drenching of orange juice.
There was this one joy.

There was one joy –

იყო ერთი სიხარული -
მუხლებში ვეჯექი
და თვალებში
ფორთოხლის კანის წვენი შემასხა.
მერე, დავავიწყდი,
როცა სიგარეტს მოუკიდა.
მე კი არ ვიცოდი ჯერ კარგად სიარული.
მუხლებიდან ძირს ჩამოვუცურდი
და ფეხსაცმელზე ლოყით მივეხუტე...
რა სხვაგვარად ისმის მაგიდის ქვეშ
სტუმართა ხმები.
მოგუდული ბგერები.
მოგუდული სივრცე.
ძლივს,
ძლივს გაშრნენ
ფორთოხლის წვენით გალუმპული წამწამები.
იყო ერთი ასეთი სიხარული...
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There was one joy –

There was one joy –
I sat on his lap
And into my eyes
He spilled juice from the orange peel.
Then he forgot me,
When he lit a cigarette
But I still could not walk very well,
I came sliding off his lap
And pressed my cheek to his shoe.
How different is the sound under the table
Of guests’ voices,
Muffled sounds.
Muffled space.
Barely,
Barely had my eyelashes
Dried from the drenching of orange juice.
There was this one joy.

There was one joy –

There was one joy –
I sat on his lap
And into my eyes
He spilled juice from the orange peel.
Then he forgot me,
When he lit a cigarette
But I still could not walk very well,
I came sliding off his lap
And pressed my cheek to his shoe.
How different is the sound under the table
Of guests’ voices,
Muffled sounds.
Muffled space.
Barely,
Barely had my eyelashes
Dried from the drenching of orange juice.
There was this one joy.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère