Ardakh Nurgaz.The River in the City

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The little river, meandering, runs

Like a vein of history

Through streets or lanes of the city

In the river lie soaked pita bread, colouring material, mud and trash

As I look at the river

I feel as if I had met Father 50 years ago

In his childhood

He is smiling, like you

Looking at the sun, his eyes narrowed

Like you, eyeing the river

Although his little paper boat has not drifted far

His shadow keeps flowing

Still, you can't see him

And your daughter is not playing with the paper boat

She is playing on the cement ground

The wooden bridge long gone

No point looking for it

There is a stone bridge now

Even though you won't see human heads hanging on it

You have to be quick

Or else cars, not horse-drawn

Carriages will hit you

translated by Ouyang Yu from the Chinese version by Gulinar Ahan

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5 Poems by Ардак НУРГАЗЫ in English, Chinese and Kazakh

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