I dreamt of her the other day. She has not lost her grace and beauty. I was surprised, but also extermely pleased.
It has been 5 years. I wonder how she is doing. I do hope and pray that she is in good health. It is funny, when you think about it, that we never once bumped into each other in the past, even though we lived in the same country.
Exactly two weeks ago, I learnt that she had grown fond of reading poems. She admitted that a lack of time had pushed her towards short essays and poetry, especially poems, which she enjoys most for how they open imaginary doors
and leave her wondering about the meaning behind each one.
“Poem for the day Two, ” she said. The date was September 29.
I could not stop wondering which poem she would have read that day, so I searched for the book online and downloaded it. I found that it is a collection designed around the calendar, one poem for each day of the year. The idea is simple, yet quite intimate.
I flipped through the pages until I reached September 29...
A Guest May Come
Vojka Djikic
(September 29th 1932 - )
Translated by Chris Agee
Hold on tight to me
And We’ll find the way home
There the fire’s still burning
And in the corners
Books lie open
That ought to be read
And the garden’s there to dig
The roses to prune
Thus it was said
When we mend the roof
And paint the red door red
A guest may come
I wonder what this poem reminded her of, and whether she was able to find the meaning behind it, or if she was expecting a guest from a faraway land.
Home… the truth is that each of us has been living far away from home for the past few years, and each of us has been dreaming of finding our way back. There is indeed work to be done. The warmth and the cosiness of home, the fire still burning, the unread books, the garden waiting.
I pray that you will find your way home soon, and that I will too. Let's go home together.
Speaking of home, this poem reminds me of another poem by Hölderlin. His poetry often carries a melancholic, visionary tone, with themes deeply rooted in Greek mythology and philosophy.
I came across this poem in a book "Mg, Ko Ko, and Mya Nandar", with the Burmese translation by the once-renowned author Kyi Aye. It centres on a boatman’s fruitful return, set against the poet’s own yearning to go back to his homeland. While the boatman brings home a successful harvest, the poet reflects on having reaped only sorrow. He questions whether the familiar landscapes of his youth, the nurturing shores and the forests of his childhood, can offer solace and restore the peace he once knew.
In a nutshell, the poem Die Heimat (The Homeland) delves into themes of longing, return, and the search for peace in one’s roots.
Original German Poem
Die Heimat
Hölderlin
Froh kehrt der Schiffer heim an den stillen Strom
Von fernen Inseln, wo er geerntet hat;
Wohl möcht’ auch ich zur Heimat wieder;
Aber was hab’ ich, wie Leid, geerntet?
Ihr holden Ufer, die ihr mich auferzogt,
Stillt ihr der Liebe Leiden? ach! gebt ihr mir,
Ihr Wälder meiner Kindheit, wann ich
Komme, die Ruhe noch Einmal wieder?
English Translation
The Homeland
Hölderlin
Joyfully, the boatman returns home to the tranquil river
From distant islands, where he has harvested;
I, too, would like to return to my homeland;
But what have I harvested, other than sorrow?
You, gracious shores, who nurtured me,
Will you soothe the pains of love? Ah! Will you grant me,
You forests of my childhood, when I
Return, peace once more?