Broken Apprentice

An imagist socialist poem by Serkan Engin

BROKEN APPRENTICE

(English- Japanese- Kurdish- Romaic- Hamshen Armenian- Turkish)

Broken Apprentice

I have made my heart a hammer
but could not repair the structure of my being.
My master spews forth his feelings lowly to me,
he expends my youth as oakum.

My desires could not be welded again,
I’ve been broken from yesterday to tomorrow.
They say: “Your offender is the government
and your procreation a generous family.”

"Truly, how can I go to the government my lady?

They continuously beat the strength of my dreams,
my innocence has been sickened by abuse and tobacco.
Even though they did not buy overalls for me,
it is the childhood of my big brother that I wear.

The exhaust smoke stains the freshness of my hopes
while the dust of chalk whitens my mind.
The steel prickles of pain prick my heart,
my palms are a field of calluses.

"Tell me truthfully, my lady, is it suitable for me
to wear the blue of the school uniform and the red backpack?

Serkan Engin

Spilt Infinitive Literary Magazine

January 1, 2014  Vol. 1, Issue 4

***

傷ついた'弟

私は私の人"のボンネット'修理できなかった
なぜなら私は自分の心'ハンマーのように'なに-ていたから
私の師は自分の-持ち'謙遜-ながら私に吐き出-た
師は私の'春'槙肌のように使い果た-た

私の™望はもはや繋ぎ合わせる"とはできなくなっていた
私は昨-から明-へと壊されていった
彼らは言う、「おまえの敵は"府だ」と
「そ-ておまえが"み出すべきは多くの家-だと」

それが本"なら私はどう"府に行'ばいいのだろう。

彼らは私の夢に出てくる'いミグ'絶えず"'する
私の無邪-さは自分に吐き-'催させ、虐待や喫煙となった
彼らは私にオーバーオールすら™ってくれなかったのに
それは私が着ていた兄の子供時代なのだ

吐き出される煙は私の新鮮な希望にきつい臭い'吹きか'る
ちょうどチョークの™が私の心'白くするように
鉄の-みのと'が私の心'刺す
それに私の手の™らは皮膚硬結の広がる'野だ

本"の"と'教えてほ-い、私に学"服の'と
赤いバック'ックは似合うのか'

Serkan Engin

Translated to Japanese by Prof. Masao Sugiyama

Shi to Shisou (Japanese Philosphy and Poetry Journal)

Issue 317/ June 2013

***

Şagirtê Şkestî

Min dilê xwe kirê çakuç jî serast nekir
Kaporta jîyana xwe yî xahr û xûdûr
Hostad eciqîn xwe li min vedireşê
Zarokîya min wekî ûstûpî xerc dikir

Hewesê min qeynax ne digirtin
Duhû da ji sibêra şkestîm
Dibêjin kiryarkerê te dewlet e
Yek ji malbata te yî bonkorî hilberîn

- Rast çawa diçin dewletê keko?

Li xeyalê minê xarê şîn dixine
Çêr û titûn e şêle bûn bêgunehîya min
Dest bi karkirine ke jî ne standin
Zarokîya bira e mine a min li xwe kirî

Dûman a egzozê melisî ser jikele min e hêvî
Hewcî toza gêç e spî dikê hiş êmin
Eş a polê histirîyan di dilê minra darin
Kefa destê min bi xwe zevî ye bizmarene

- Ji min ra rast bêje bira, l imin dihat ne?
Berkoşa dibistanê şîn û çente sorî piştê

Serkan Engîn

Translated to Kurdish by Mehmet Caymaz

Guney Dergisi (Turkish Literary Journal)

Issue 50/ 2009

***

Το παράπονο του παραγιού

Με την καρδιά τις σφυρηλάτησα... δεν έφτιαξαν οι δίπλες της ζωής.
Το αφεντικό, στα παιδικά μου χρόνια ξερνάει την κακομοιριά του.
�- φλόγα της συγκόλλησης δεν πιάνει στα όνειρά μου... αποκομμένα, μέλλον
�" παρελθόν. ‘Το κράτος’ φταίει μου λένε...
κι η οικογένεια, που αράδιασε αλόγιστα παιδιά!
�'λήθεια μπάρμπα, που �™ρίσκεται ‘το κράτος’;
�'λύπητα χτυπάει το σφυρί στο στρογγυλό γαλάζιο των ονείρων.
Πνίγουν την αθωότητα, μεσ’ στις �™ρισιές και στα τσιγάρα...
Μήτε τουλούμι της δουλειάς δεν μου αγόρασαν,
φοράω το παλιό του αδελφού μου.
�'ντί της κιμωλίας το λευκό, το καυσαέριο �™αφεί μαύρα τα όνειρά μου
Τ’ ατσάλινα του πόνου αγκάθια μου τρυπάνε την καρδιά,
κι από καιρό, κάλοι σπαρμένοι στην παλάμη...
Πες μου αλήθεια μπάρμπα:Πιότερο δεν θα μου ταίριαζε
γαλάζια σχολική ποδιά και σάκα κόκκινη στην πλάτη;

Serkan Engin

Translated to Romaic by Mihail Vasiliadis
Apoyevmatini (Romaic Newspaper in Turkey)

November 2010

***

Godradz Çirağ

sirdes çakuç ayi u şidgel çgartsi
abrumis geze kaportan
acervutune indzi pesxa gu ustas
teranşori bes bidasna gu bidzigutunes

yaar pernelçi havasniyes
eregan hekutsniyus godradzim
‘ku maxavored dovlet na’ gasin
şad dağa unnoğ indaniked mem al

-şidag! dovletniyus inçbes gertevi ağpar?

guttan im niyaznerun gundi çaxale
hayhoyuşi u muxi xarevi gu anmaxkutunes
meg nor panihakust al arinoç
medz ağparis bidzigutunna hakunes

egzozin muxe nebegi gu havasis sebiyitunin
tabaşirin toze cermegatsnoğena xelkes
tsavin poğpat puşere nirella gu serdis
nasiri arda zate apes

-şidag asa ağpar indzi erand gellir a?
maktabin çaxal şabikn u garmi lerti bayusag e

Serkan Engin

Translated to Hamshen Armenian

by Suat Hayri Kucuk and Mahir Ozkan

***

Kırık Çırak

kalbimi çekiç yaptım da düzeltemedim
hayatımın eğri büğrü kaportasını
ezikliğini bana kusuyor ustam
üstüpü gibi harcıyor çocukluğumu

kaynak tutmuyor heveslerim
dünden yarına kırılmışım
’senin failin devlettir’ diyorlar
’üreme bonkörü ailen bir de’

- sahi devlet’e nasıl gidilir abi?

dövüyorlar düşlerimin misket mavisini
küfre ve tütüne bulandı masumiyetim
bir işbaşı bile almadılar
abimin küçüklüğüdür giydiğim

egzoz dumanı siniyor umutlarımın körpeliğine
tebeşir tozu ağartacağına aklımı
acının çelik dikenleri batıyor kalbime
avuçlarım zaten nasır tarlası

- doğru söyle abi bana yakışırdı di’mi ?
okul önlüğü mavisiyle kırmızı sırt çantası

Serkan Engin

Unlem (Turkish Literary Journal)

July 2005