Poem by Biljana Z. BILJANOVSKA
Born in 1948 in Skopje, Macedonia, Biljana Z Biljanovska is a professional translator, journalist, writer, poet, novelist and an essayist. She was brought up in Belgrade and went to State University St Cyril and Methodius faculty of Philology in Skopje, where she studied French and Italian Languages, Literature and Culture. On several occasion, she served in Italy in High School of Translators and Interpreters in Milan. She is a prolific writer and does translations of poetry and literary works from Macedonian to Serbian, Italian, French and likewise.
PHOENIX
Among those bones and meat of my tired body
interweaved are souls
of all my ancestors:
Forefathers, grandfathers, of mothers and fathers side Among them, many revolutionists.
And today, when life closes the door for me, depersonalizes me
with undeserved injustices, in me, their blood agitates roars from deep within deprives of sleep
motivates me during the day to raise from their ashes
Like a Phoenix spreading the wings so that I can scream to the world: ENOUGH PEOPLE, ENOUGH
to all the blackmail, threat, injustice and haughtiness,
leave us at least with PEACE
to have a place to raise our children and to save your souls.
PHOENIX
Antara tulang dan otot tubuh ku yang keletihan diselang-seli dengan roh semua keturunan ku
Moyang, datuk-nenek ku
di sebelah ibu, juga di sebelah bapa ku
Di antara mereka ramai revolusioner
Dan hari ini, bila pintu kehidupan tertutup untuk ku
menjadikan aku seorang manusia tanpa keperibadian
dengan ketidak-adilan yang tidak harus dilambakkan kepada ku dalam diri ku, darah mereka menyirap
mengaum jauh dalam diri ku menjadikan aku tidak lena
tapi mendorong semangat ku di siang hari untuk bangkit dari abu kehancuran mereka
Seperti phoenix yang mengembangkan sayapnya supaya aku boleh menjerit kepada dunia, CUKUPLAH WAHAI MANUSIA, CUKUPLAH Kepada segala peras-ugut,
Ketidak-adilan, dan besar kepala
tinggalkanlah kepada kami sekurang-kurangnya KEAMANAN
supaya kami ada tempat untuk membesarkan anak-anak dan menyelamatkan jiwa kamu.
Translated into BAHASA MELAYU by Siti Ruqaiyah HASHIM
FROM PEACE BE UPON YOU DAVOS
KULTURA SNOVA PUBLICATION
ISBN: 9789538150890
