Flowers of Death

I'm finally getting some tangible results for all the language study I've been doing. I have several poems at different stages of translation by poet and novelist G. Ayurzana. The one closest to finished is "Үхлийн Цэцэгс" (Ükhliing Tsetsegc), or "Flowers of Death." Ayur, short for Ayurzana, is a very interesting poet. His themes are very divergent from traditional Mongolian poems, which are centered in the landscape of Mongolia, the nation itself and its greatness. His recurring themes include death, desire, dreams and lost love. Suitable for winter, yes?

Ayur's poems continue to surprise me and deeply question some of my own cultural assumptions. They are also, as most Mongolian poems, rooted in a sense of place, which is one of the characteristics that first drew me to Mongolian poetry.

Үс сэрвэлзэх ч салхин үгүй талд
Үнэр, өнгөгүй түмэн цэцэг найгана.
Үл мэдэгхэн санаа алдахын цуурайг
Үүрдийн тайвшрал, мөнхийн зүүд залгана.

Excerpt from "Үхлийн Цэцэгс" by Г. Аюурзана

My rough translation thus far:

On a steppe without even a wind that would move a hair
Thousands of flowers without scent or color sway.
The smallest sigh's echo
Is followed by eternal calm and an infinite dream.

Next, I will give the entire translation of the poem to several native speakers for their review.

P.S. I won't be publishing any of the poems in their entirety here as I hope to publish them in literary magazines in the U.S. in the coming months. However, I will have audio of the Mongolian versions up soon. Don't forget to check back!

Comments

[sue fink]

What a beautiful poem! And what beautiful children in the pictures! I am quite taken with the little cutie in the pink top with lady bugs? on it. That must be her in the white dress, too.