Barışmaz

Heydär Äbbasi, who writes his poems under the pen name " Barışmaz, " was born in Märağa in 1943.  He is not only proficient in Persian and Turkish but also in English language and literature.  He is knowledgeable in fine arts carving, sculpture, painting, and calligraphy-as well.  His published works consist of Näğmä Dağı vä İstemar (The song mountain and imperialism), Çağırılmamış Qonaqlar (The uninvited guests), and Odumlu Diräk- (The blissful shaft)." These three volumes show the poet's full cognizance with Azerbaijani folklore, and it is because of this knowledge that his verse is replete with fascinating metaphors and maxims representing the common people's beliefs.  These characteristic features help readers to establish emotional and intellectual ties with the poet and share his world views. Barışmaz's long poem, "Odumlu Diräk," epitomizes his poetical achievement in terms of presenting a treasure of folklore and is very effective in its communicative mission.  The focus of this poem is on seven social acts, namely, affection, understanding, striving, patience, struggle, justice, and hatred.  Each is expressed through analogies and metaphors prevalent in Azerbaijani folklore." His most recent poems concern highly valued social themes.  In one poem, "Arzı" (Desire), Barışmaz describes his ideal world as follows:

Oh! you residents of the White House,
Who have begrudged people the joy of life,
Should I possess your weaponry,
Do you ever know m-hat I would do?
I would never fill their stomachs with dynamite,
Least death should flash in their eyes,
Upon the touch of  the trigger.
To feed the hungry people of the world,
I would fill their stomachs with bread,
So that it would scatter bread instead of fire.

If your planes loaded  with death were mine
I would never carry around the forebodings.
On them I would bring meat to the children
Who hardly ever taste it once a year.

I would not cut off the tongues;
Rather I would become the tongue.
I would have those silenced out  of  fear speak out;
I would plant smiles on the lips.

If I owned the bulldozers you have,
I would climb over stone - hearted, cold, bloody walls.
Henceforth they would never separate two brothers.
I would never take pacifiers from the mouths of babies with fiery lead,
I would load my gun with pacifiers
Tasting the milk, smelling of the mother's fragrance.

I never would have
The fireplace of understanding cool off.
I would be a sawyer
Rooting out ignorance in the world.

God knows
What I would do
Should I ever possess
The power you have.

In another poem, entitled "Gözältçim" (My jailer), the poet criticizes the inequalities and their roots in philosophical and satirical manner:

Your prison is inside you.
My prison is outside me.
It is the cage
That bars my way out.
The breath that you cut short
Strangles you.
I drag around the chain on my feet;
You drag around your chain-reduced life.  You drag it out.
I will drag it out,
You, my jailer!

Ana Sayfaya Dön


savalan@europe.com