Yiorgos Merantzas

By the bad and the unjust thrown out
and as you were refraining from the two-edged life
I found you suddenly branded
now that the underworld had erased you
and the upper world was the gears
that caused you to be hunted in the narrow streets and alleys…

And you took the primer of the weather
and words of love as your talisman,
in order for the grass to take root again
and you took hope and grace,
you will go high to build a chest
with only hope and grace…

But how can you not forget your courtyard
and everyone’s old opinion,
as many as secretly walked beside you
to mark again your life
and for you to be both bird and hunter
in the black ravines of paradise…

Hidden and openly they follow you
the gangs and the torturers
and they search day and night to find you,
but there is no road for them to cross
because they were never poets,
with the soil they step on to pay their respects…

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Κρυφά και φανερά σ’ ακολουθούνε
οι συμμορίες κι οι βασανιστές
και ψάχνουν μέρα – νύχτα να σε βρούνε,
μα δεν υπάρχει δρόμος να διαβούνε
γιατί ποτέ δεν ήταν ποιητές,
το χώμα που πατούν να προσκυνούνε..