Others chock-full of envy
mean evil down with me
For I compose a poetry
that is a treasure sweet.
They say, ‘How does his tonque
have such delicacy,
That among us non can compete
or withstand that rivalry?’
Deceived by the dark,
doomed to be blind
In slumber they’ll never know
‘bout riches that I stow.
A vessel am I made of clay
a golden treasure trove,
Heavens may speak through my soul
like manna of the Lord.
Who tries to steal my trove
turns into foe,
Goes against God playing his word
will see no mercy in the Lord.
Those who’d like to hear me though
and catch the words I spoke,
Will be gifted with the sign
of treasue trove I stow.
In monastery, fifteen years old
too young one may have thought
Once in the dungeon of the night
a mirage took my soul.
Young man in rays of light
a glorious King, His Majesty
Heavenly like the sun was He,
His vestments were sunbright.
Before the sea of His glory
taking over fear imprisoned me
So captive I couldn’t even speak,
‘Oh, Lord, who’s He?’
I bowed and kissed the ground
faintly looking up at Him.
I asked Him thrice,
I couldn’t move, my feet were bound.
I sighed, “A sinner like me,
for mercy asks Thee”,
I sighed, “My aching soul
in You found its remedy,
I sighed, “I’m underneath”
I long for word eternally,
The gift of the spirit
Breathe it into me”.
His glorious heart hearkened me,
all my prayers reached the Heavenly,
From His thrown He came down to me
passing bestowed His light on me,
Trampled me and then turned back.
I stood up granted on my feet
Favoured the sweetest gift of the spirit.
For I said, “I saw You,
saw the gates of Paradise,
May the arrow of holy light
strike my sinner soul.
I will forsake this life
where there’s vanity and dark.
For You hosted me with open arms
Your long suffering child”.
And a voice acted in response,
like sweet balm it echoed in my bones,
“Go!” And I shattered from within
lost in the dreamy, stormy sea.
I stood girding myself about
I prayed in agony of my heart
I begged the Heavens and prayed again
to bring back the dream that flung me in the air.
As days went by, I prayed in tears
I prayed lingering to be heard
To see the rays that shine so bright
like crystals reflecting in my eyes.
And in the dungeon of the night I had no rest,
and the morning sun left me unrest
None knew the dreams I had
That burnt me… turned me mad.
What that dream meant
was in disguise,
I couldn’t wit the signs it hid
because of tender age.
And only later, as years passed by
the wisdom broke my chains
I saw the secret in disguise
and read that dream of mine.
And suddenly I heard myself
speak words I’d never known
The lira and the tapestry
of words eloquent sea.
The hope and love were my abode
in their temple I took my vow
And made my soul their own.
Like manna from the skies above
the words are deep inside
For I saw the King in rays of light
now He is my abode.
And since the day He gifted me
the sun that never sets
My body and my aching soul
Turned into His slave.
Flowers grow from my singing soul,
nothing can hold it down,
I drink the wisdom flask of wine
its flavour – gift and spell
That makes me drunk,
takes me to the unknown.
What matter they? I need no one,
nor those that bring me down.
On the good Earth a fool am I,
my dreams – a poison jar.
One says – “he is the wise”,
one claims –”an evil mind”.
Other in anger malign me
grinding their teeth in envy
And there are some – then let them be –
that sharpen their knife in rivalry.
Translated by Diana Sisakyan
