“Poetryverse”, a popular American literary portal, has posted in English the verses “Ancient Manuscript”, “If Only I Had That Power”, “We Are All on the Road”, “There Will Be No Trace of It” by Rasul Rza, the People’s Poet of Azerbaijan, as part of the AzSTC project “Azerbaijan Literature in an International Virtual World.”

The translators of the verses into English, preceded by the information about the poet’s creativity, are Thomas W. Case, a well-known American poet and writer, and Narmin Hasanova, the coordinator for relations with Great Britain and Ireland.

It is worth noting that the literature portal, which has a wide auditorium of readers, regularly publishes works by such famous writers and poets as William Shakespeare, Alexander Pushkin, Wolfgang Goethe, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Pablo Neruda, just to name a few.

Rasul Rza

(1910-1981)

• the poet, writer, and translator;
• over the years, studied at various institutions, including the Transcaucasus Communist University, Moscow Institute of Nations, the Soviet Cinematography Institute;
• was the Chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union in 1939;
• is the author of over 30 books of poetry such as “Poems” (1959), “Light On My Window” (1962), “Feelings, Thoughts” (1964), “Endurance” (1965), “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” (1973), “Towards the Wind” (1979) and others;
• also translated the literary works of such outstanding poets as Lord Byron, Alexander Pushkin, Heinrich Heine, Mikhail Lermontov, Alexander Blok, Nazim Hikmat, Federico García Lorca and many others into Azerbaijani;
• was awarded the honourary titles of “Honoured Art Worker” and “People's Poet”;
• his works have been translated into very many languages.

https://www.poetryverse.com/rasul-rzapoems

Ancient Manuscript

The sheets are pale, yellow.

How many lines are removed;

how many edges of the sheets

crumbled and dusted,

could not withstand the weight of years.

However,

a slight smile,

a tear drop,

dreams and hopes

that have passed over the centuries

are left.

The warmth of the human heart,

the power of human thought,

joy full of human scent are left,

sadness is left.

If I Only Had That Power

I wish the clouds would cry

Instead of children’s crying.

With mother or motherless.

I wish the flowers would open

Instead of opening fire

With mercy or mercilessly.

I wish the doors would be closed

when the weather is cold.

I wish our eyes wouldn’t be off

And we wouldn’t be off the words.

I wish the fire would fade away

Instead of fading hopes.

I wish the fruits would fall from trees on time

Instead of hearts being fallen to pieces.

I wish branches of trees would hang to the ground

because of ripened fruits

Instead of hanging heads in shame.

I wish the springs would flow like tears

Instead of tears flowing down like springs anywhere in the world.

I wish everything would be human-dependent

Instead of human being dependent on anything.

I wish the stars would be awake at night

Instead of people staying awake.

I wish people would sleep and rest

To gather strength for tomorrow’s useful work

And open their eyes to tomorrow’s hopeful morning.

I wish there would be only joy and peace,

Open roads leading from heart to heart

From land to land.

We are All On The Road

A road.

A train.

Someone is getting on, someone is getting off.

Someone is getting on with a smiling face,

and is getting off with same expression.

Someone is with sadness on their faces, with a worried expression.

The stations are going one by one

The platforms are passing by.

The train road does not end

There are still long days and nights.

There is still someone getting on with a smiling face,

and getting off with a worried expression.

Neither I nor anyone in the train knows

where I will get off.

Maybe the train never stops:

It comes to someone who is getting off,

it comes to someone who is getting on.

Maybe this just comes into my mind.

The train is moving.

I am drinking tea, smoking my cigarettes,

thinking, writing a poem.

I'm ready to go, go and go this long way

And to get off at the nearest stop.

But...

I will just finish this verse.

Then will start a new one.

But...

The road doesn't end here,

and neither do the dreams.

The new platforms, stations are passing by.

Someone is getting on,

Someone is getting off.

There Will Be No Trace

My heart is captured by you,

My heart is yours, lover

My heart is yours,

Have a mercy on me

Have a word with me, lover,

Have a word with me!

Tell me, what these airs and graces,

These manners and caprices are.

Your beauty will fade away one day,

And there will be no trace of it.

I am lonely, so lonely!

I am lonely, so lonely!

Don’t leave me in grief

Don’t set my soul on fire, lover

Tell me, what these airs and graces,

These manners and caprices are.

Your beauty will fade away one day,

And there will be no trace of it.

The mountains are covered with fog and clouds,

Fog and clouds again, lover.

Fog and clouds.

Parting with you is worse than death, lover!

Worse than death.

Tell me, what these airs and graces,

These manners and caprices are.

Your beauty will fade away one day,

And there will be no trace of it.

I am lonely, so lonely!

I am lonely, so lonely!

Don’t leave me in grief

Don’t set my soul on fire, lover

Tell me, what these airs and graces,

These manners and caprices are.

Your beauty will fade away one day,

And there will be no trace of it.