Levon Shant (1869-1951) was an Armenian poet, playwright, and novelist. This is my translation of “Storm” from Armenian to English.
Storm
And outside, an opaque darkness:
the obliteration of light.
I stand facing my window,
silent and lonely.
And suddenly, the wind
sounds like a pack of wolves
howling fiercely to my face.
It howls, and then it fades.
And the rain’s many fingers
on my window pane,
they play one of the wild songs
composed by the chaos in me.
Name: Aurora Chateau 2018
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Region: North Lebanon
Date Consumed: October 18, 2023
Experience
Rain. Mid-October.
There’s no good news on the news, and
tomorrow could mean war.
In Lebanon, “tomorrow” has always been a treacherous place.
We don’t go there unless we have to,
and we always have to…
Rain. Mid-October.
October means
wine drinking season has begun.
My wife and I decide to cook a nice dinner together
and stay indoors.
I choose the wine.
I choose something nice.
Full-bodied, lustful,
stimulating, dark…
Something’s off.
It feels like I’m having champagne
at a funeral.
Name: Cave du Monastere St Jean Cuvee Zakher 2019
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah
Year: 2019
Country: Lebanon
Region: Mount Lebanon
Date Consumed: October 16, 2023
Description:
Minutes after pouring, the sediment settles to the bottom
like childhood sins in the subconscious of an old man.
All is forgiven.
This is a wine that tastes like a prayer on a stormy night.
It is a confession.
Confessions by Saint Augustine, Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
I can smell old books caramelized on forgotten shelves.
I can taste prunes, rain, and firewood.
At the dinner table with my family, I feel like crying
but I laugh instead.
