Misak Medsarents translations from Armenian to English

“Sleep” by Misak Metsarents

Misak Metsarents (1886-1908) was a Western Armenian neo-romantic poet. This is my translation of “Sleep” from Armenian to English. It was written sometime between 1901 and 1903.

Sleep

A cold, quivering Fall
is panting in my soul.
The night falls. The book of life
cries page after page.

Sickly shivers
and feeble murmurs
fade in, fade out
in a feverish requiem.

And — poor snowbound lyre! —
my brave heart goes silent,
and even the saddle horse leaves.
Only the quivering comes to bring

suffering and pain.
My longed for flowers aren’t here.
The fragrance and enthusiasm aren’t here…

Lebanese Wines: Aurora Cabernet Franc 2018

Name: Aurora – Cabernet Franc 2018
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Region: North Lebanon

Experience

Date Consumed: February 22, 2023

A wine that tastes like aged lust wrapped in satin.

Imagine a beautiful woman sitting cross-legged on dewy grass,
watching the night sky, letting the time pass.
Listen to her laughter
right after
she gives you the middle finger.

The wine plays with your tongue.
Fondling.

Something silky, ferric,
with hints of strawberry.
The taste of soft, bitten lips.

A kiss.
A false goodbye.
An image, a memory
of what could have been.

February 4, 2023: People Try to Fix You

People try to fix you
as if you’re broken
or as if you have been doing things wrong
all your life.

They tell you, “You don’t understand.
Let me show you how it’s done.”
And you let them.
You stay calm and let them
teach you whatever it is they want to teach you.

People try to fix you
and expect you to be fixed the next time they see you.
But they don’t understand that they can never change you
because they are the ones who need to change.

They try to fix you
only because they are broken,
and you don’t have the courage or the time
to tell them that they are.