Friday, November 11, 2011

Our land - Ο τόπος μας

 


Γιάννης Ρίτσος  (1909 – 1991)

Ανεβήκαμε πάνω στο λόφο να δούμε τον τόπο μας-
φτωχικά, μετρημένα χωράφια, πέτρες, λιόδεντρα.
Αμπέλια τραβάν κατά τη θάλασσα.Δίπλα στ’ αλέτρι
καπνίζει μια μικρή φωτιά.Του παππουλή τα ρούχα
τα σιάξαμε σκιάχτρο για τις κάργιες.Οι μέρες μας
παίρνουν το δρόμο τους για λίγο ψωμί και μεγάλες λιακάδες.
Κάτω απ’ τις λεύκες φέγγει ένα ψάθινο καπέλο.
Ο πετεινός στο φράχτη. Η αγελάδα στο κίτρινο.
Πώς έγινε και μ’ ένα πέτρινο χέρι συγυρίσαμε
το σπίτι μας και τη ζωή μας; Πάνω στ’ ανώφλια
είναι η καπνιά, χρόνο με το χρόνο, απ’ τα κεριά του Πάσχα-
μικροί μαύροι σταυροί που χάραξαν οι πεθαμένοι
γυρίζοντας απ’ την Ανάσταση. Πολύ αγαπιέται αυτός ο τόπος
με υπομονή και περηφάνεια.Κάθε νύχτα απ’ το ξερό πηγάδι
βγαίνουν τ’ αγάλματα προσεχτικά κι ανεβαίνουν στα δέντρα.
__________________________________


Our land
by Yiannis Ritsos (1909 – 1991)
translated by Edmund Keeley

We climbed the hill to look over our land:
fields poor and few, stones, olive trees.
Vineyards head toward the sea. Beside the plow
a small fire smoulders. We shaped the old man's clothes
into a scarecrow against the ravens. Our days
are making their way toward a little bread and great sunshine.
Under the poplars a straw hat beams.
The rooster on the fence. The cow in yellow.
How did we manage to put our house and our life in order
with a hand made of stone? Up on the lintel
there's soot from the Easter candles, year by year:
tiny black crosses marked there by the dead
returning from the Resurrection Service. This land is much loved
with patience and dignity. Every night, out of the dry well,
the statues emerge cautiously and climb the trees.


24 comments:

  1. Very powerful. Thank you, Monika.

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  2. It is burning, much as your beautiful photos.

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  3. Il calore di un camino scalda il cuore!
    Fotografie magiche!
    Ti auguro un felice fine settimana!!
    The warmth of a fireplace warms the heart!
    Photographs magic!
    I wish you a happy weekend!
    Ciao Monika!

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  4. Fire is an interesting element to photograph. It might reflect beauty and danger and vitality, as your flames do in the first photo, or it might reveal warmth and tranquility and the approaching end, such as your embers do in the second photo. You have photographed the story of life here, Monika.

    The poem, I think, offers a view of the harshness and the difficulty of life on a small farm, but also tells of the love for the land and the satisfaction from living such a life as part of the land.

    Your selections merit much thought.

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  5. A poignant story, nicely illustrated by the burning embers ! Thank you, Monika. I hope your weekend is a good one.

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  6. veruy good poem!appropraite for our times

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  7. Great post!!! Excellent shots, poems, composition...!!

    Salut, Francesc

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  8. fabulous photos of the fire!
    i love how dramatically powerful the look!
    how inspiring this poem is these difficult times.

    Ritsos is one of my favourite poets.

    thanks so much for sharing, my dearest!

    hope you have a great weekend!

    big hugs
    betty xx

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  9. The fire is dangerous Monika. Be careful :)
    Kiss

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  10. Monika, I think that your art and very special little poem by Yannis Ritsos reflect how you feel about your county, love and life.

    The fire is beautiful and mystic in your images. And it is a little bit sad when it will be over. What will be left after it? But meanwhile it is in all its glory with very vibrant and rich colors creating fantastic mysterious shadows.

    And light is so catching and captivating. I think that you challenge fire in this images, you challenge its danger and strength.... That is how I feel, of course, I might be mistaken.

    Beautiful and powerful images. I want to look and look at them.

    I send you my admiration for your art and warm hugs from cold Utah.

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  11. ♡°
    º✿
    º° ♥✿
    O poema é muito triste.
    Imagens muito lindas.
    Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.
    Brasil
    ♥♡

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  12. Liebe Monika, passend deine Wahl des Gedichtes
    „ Das Land das Leben die Würde“
    Ich las dieses in Deutschland;
    Das Land brennt, die Krise trifft besonders die Schwächsten: Immer mehr Eltern bringen ihre Kinder in SOS-Kinderdörfer in Griechenland, weil sie große wirtschaftliche Probleme haben und ihre Kinder nicht mehr ernähren können.

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  13. Das was Jasmin sagt, ist leider wahr. Es trifft immer diejenigen, die nichts zu verantworten haben.
    LG Sabine

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  14. Eine große Tiefe in Wort und Bild.
    Liebe Grüße,
    Uwe-jens

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  15. Αγαπητή μου Μόνικα,
    Υπέροχο το ποίημα του αγαπημένου μας ποιητή και τόσο ζωντανές οι φωτογραφίες σου!
    Μακάρι η ζεστασιά τους να φθάσει στις ψυχές των ανθρώπων.
    Φιλάκια

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  16. Τι εικόνα που αναδύεται από το θαυμάσιο τούτο ποίημα και πόσο δένει με την ζεστασιά της φωτογραφίας. Αλλά και η μετάφραση είναι πολύ επιτυχημένη.

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  17. Hi my dear Monika, finally I'm back... great change in my life but all nice change :-)

    I can see that your works is always very intresting and nice...

    kiss and see you my dear

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  18. I may be wrong but I sense that there is a deeper meaning in your post here... I feel for you in that and hope it improves.

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  19. Yes, dear J_on_tour@jayzspaze and thank you for your good wishes!!

    I was for a long time out of line cause of technical problem...
    See you soon!!!

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  20. Αγαπημένο ποίημα.
    Κι απ' τις φωτογραφίες, η δεύτερη...

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