Historical Bulgarian of the Week - Пейо Яворов:
Saturday, May 3, 2008
The day of this blog writing I happen to be in the beautiful city of Chirpan.
For this reason I chose one of the cities famous sons... and no I am not writing about fellow PCV Jimmy Wall
This weeks episode is one of Bulgarias most famous poets, Peyo Yavorov. He lived from January of 1878 until October 1914, living only until the age of 36.
Yavorov lived a short and traumatic life, however, despite this most of his poems were romantic ones dedicated to his two greatest loves.
One died from tubercolosis and the other, whome he married, shot herself in 1912. Yavorov attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head. Instead the bullet went through his tempal leaving him blind. Yavorov eventually took no precautions and poisoned and then shot himself in 1914.
Picture of the statue of Peyo in the town of Chirpan:
Here are two poems of his, translated into English (Sidenote1- Not translated by me but I cannot credit who did as the web-site I found them had no credit attributed to this work):
COME!
Your eyes to starry skies I shall compare
Your hair to the transparent veil
Of a late evening, such is your hair!
The scent that lingers round your maiden mouth
Is fresh, invigorating as the South,
……A breeze that browses in a flowery dale.
So come, the day is cold and dead.
The moonlit night, hair tumbling round your eyes,
Lower your head
And breathe into my face,
Come, warm my chilly heart with your embrace –
This moonlit night, beneath the starry skies.
TWO SOULS
I do not live: I burn. In acrimony raging
Two souls are duelling within my breast:
The soul of a devil, the sould of an angel.
Their breathing is flame and it gives me no rest.
Not one flame bursts but two – whatever I am touching,
And in each stone two heartbeats I hear clash …
Whereever I go there’s an odious doubling
Of two warring faces, which vanish in ash.
And everywhere the wind that follows me is spreading
The ashes: all my footprints are effaced.
For I am not living – I burn! – and am shedding
A trail of grey ashes across a dim waste.
Thanks for tuning in... until next time this is Kashkaval Pane signing off.
Posted byPavel at 4:02 PM
Labels: Bulgarian History
The poems sound weird in English :)
He is one of my favourite poets.
He also took part in the "haidouks" movement (that I hope you already know what is) for Macedonia's liberation and has written some powerful poems during that time.