Spirit

AND TO THOSE WHO WILL NOT WALK THESE MOORS AGAIN BY RAHMAT BAKARE

Art by Tony Brinkley

Translator’s Note

I was motivated to translate these poems because I lost a family member recently, and the original poems by my daughter, the author, connect and resonate with the theme of ‘Spirit.’ This made the translation process very meaningful and soothing, with the vision that it could also influence others. The poem conveys our deep feelings regarding the loss and afterlife, as well as the associated uncertainties. In the translation process, I had a lot of mixed feelings—sometimes I struggled with my emotions while trying to select the best words and rhymes that would communicate meanings with maximum impact in a foreign language. But at the same time, I would tell myself to slow down so that my readers could enjoy the richness of the words, to feel the sensual and moral impact of the theme too. Therefore, finding the midpoint between these variables while sustaining the balance was crucial to my process, as I need my audience to feel some emotions while still immersed in the substance of the poem line after line. The process also created an unexpected artistic synergy between myself and my daughter which was great at this kind of time—deciding on words and moods made us understand the essence of Spirit better. 

 

The consonants in Turkish sound great to the ears and sometimes, there is this drawl to it which is beautiful. The rise and fall of the lines in English, in imitation of the original’s fluid soundscape, made me really appreciate the translation itself—the poem is comforting, true to the mysteries that abound. We hope that this translation will inspire hope in the living whilst fostering healing and closure in the journey towards understanding and exploring ‘Spirit’ as intended by the original. 

Mojisola Bakare

And to Those who Will Not Walk These Moors Again

Translated from Turkish by Mojisola Bakare

Only in dreams will I see your face, glorious 

Only in dreams will I hear your voice, sonorous 

Only in dreams will I see your eyes sparkle like a galaxy of rising stars, luminous 

Only in dreams will I remember  

You are not a phantom but a spirit passing swiftly through my thoughts whenever. 

 

Shadows in the night, tall and short 

When fireflies dance in the heat, in the dust 

The rustling of dry leaves when hurried tongues of wind lick through slumbering moors 

Through creaking, open doors 

Awaking sleeping creatures—the farmer, the cow, the bird, the horse 

Shadows flick through, tall, short, humming melodies, all sorts all kinds 

Departed but unrested like they left something behind 

Maybe 

Memories unforgettable, 

Visions, a pile of those now unrealizable  

Footsteps undecided come and go, almost audible 

Their echoes the sound of goodbyes impossible. 

 

Until the first lights of dawn filter through 

Ceilings, blurring irises as they intrude 

Shadows once again flee and hide in the same moors 

Behind familiar doors now closed as the morning sun  

Chases silhouettes now tired but never ready to run 

For we just may never know  

What of this life they left behind or cherished most before they were gone. 

 

And to those who will never walk these moors ever again  

Say your goodbyes 

Even though I can never say mine 

Drop your handkerchief 

Mine seems dried yet my heart breaks as I heave a million sighs 

So say your goodbyes 

Fast but with a heart that will never forget, one purged of regret 

Go, slowly, saunter back up the moors, forests and undulating streams 

Into clearer skies where all is right and bright 

Where souls mix with the light 

For the morrow is near  

Cry no tears and have no fear 

For you will wake in a land so far though beautiful and free 

In a place where dreams undying become real. 

Ve Bu Bozkırlarda Yeniden Yürümeyenlere

By Rahmat Bakare

Yüzünü ancak rüyalarda göreceğim, şanlı 

Sesini yalnızca rüyalarda duyacağım, gür 

Sadece rüyalarda gözlerindeki ışıltının yükselen yıldızlardan oluşan bir galaksi gibi parladığını göreceğim, aydınlık 

Sadece rüyalarda hatırlayacağım  

Sen bir hayalet değilsin, ancak her an düşüncelerimden hızla geçen bir ruhsun. 

 

Gecedeki gölgeler, uzun ve kısa 

Ateşböcekleri sıcakta dans ettiğinde, tozda dans ettiğinde 

Rüzgârın aceleci dilleri uyuyan bozkırları yaladığında kuru yaprakların hışırtısı 

Gıcırdayan, açık kapılardan 

Uyuyan yaratıkları uyandırıyor, çiftçi, inek, kuş, at 

Gölgeler arasından geçiyor, uzun, kısa, uğultulu melodiler, her türden ve çeşitten 

Ayrıldılar ama sanki arkalarında bir şey bırakmışlar gibi huzursuzlar 

Belki 

Unutulmaz anılar, 

Bir yığın vizyon, artık gerçekleştirilemez  

Kararsız ayak sesleri gelip gidiyor, neredeyse duyulabilir 

Onların yankıları imkansız vedaların sesidir. 

 

Şafağın ilk ışıkları süzülene kadar 

Tavanlara doğru, irisler izinsizce bulanıklaşıyor 

Gölgeler bir kez daha kaçıp aynı bozkırlarda saklanıyor 

Tanıdık kapıların ardında artık sabah güneşi gibi kapalı  

Silüetleri kovala, şimdi yorgun ama asla koşmaya hazır değil 

Çünkü asla bilemeyebiliriz  

Gitmeden önce bu hayattan en çok neleri geride bıraktılar ya da değer verdiler? 

 

Ve bu bozkırlarda bir daha asla yürüyemeyecek olanlara  

Veda et 

Her ne kadar benimkini asla söyleyemesem de 

Mendilini bırak 

Benimki kurumuş gibi görünüyor ama milyonlarca iç çekerken kalbim kırılıyor 

Öyleyse veda et 

Çabuk ama hiç unutmayacak bir yürekle, pişmanlıklardan arınmış biri 

Gidin, yavaşça, bozkırlara, ormanlara ve dalgalı derelere doğru gezin 

Her şeyin doğru ve parlak olduğu daha net gökyüzüne 

Ruhların ışıkla karıştığı yer 

Çünkü yarın yakın  

Gözyaşı dökme ve korkma 

Çünkü güzel ve özgür olmasına rağmen çok uzak bir ülkede uyanacaksın 

Ölümsüz hayallerin gerçeğe dönüştüğü bir yer. 

Çünkü güzel ve özgür olmasına rağmen bu kadar uzak bir ülkede uyanacaksın 

Ölümsüz hayallerin gerçeğe dönüştüğü bir yer. 

  • Rahmat Bakare is a Nigerian and she comes from a small close knitted family. She resides in Turkey and is a student of Kocaeli University where she also had the opportunity to study Turkish as a second language earlier. Rahmat feels very proud of her multilingual abilities especially for having achieved a high proficiency in Turkish because it is a very rich language that also intertwines with other languages like French and Arabic. She appreciates diversity and is a lover of languages and world cultures. She is looking to make as much progress in studying French and Arabic. She believes there is no language that is difficult to learn. 

    In her spare time, Rahmat loves reading novels, travelling and watching films. She looks forward to learning more languages and would love to see more of the world and its people in future. 

  • Mojisola Bakare is a graduate of the University of Glasgow, UK Creative Writing Mlitt. with Distinction Award. She also holds a MA from Rome Business School, Italy. She has been published and featured in various anthologies, journals and festivals, including Yemaya (Sydney University, Australia), An Anthology of New Work by African Women (USA), and Lancaster Litfest (UK), among others. She was the Writer In Residence at Cultural Centre Ozu, Monteleone Italy where she showcased her works. She is also a playwright and co-writer of the acclaimed Hear Word Plays by Iopeneye Productions, Nigeria staged in the UK, USA, Europe and Africa. As a hybrid writer, poet, drama cum writing coach and manager, Mojisola enjoys poetry that appreciates the essence of being alive whilst finding answers to phenomena that puzzle the human mind.