HAIGOUHI SEROPIAN'S POETRY


KEEP SMILING TO ALL

Translated from Armenian by Daniel Janoyan
El Monte, July 15, 1999

 
Always try to smile happily and endlessly,
Never ever cry in front of anybody nor also show any misery.
Let no one know there is some pain in your heart,
Let no one notice you are crying within your heart.

While at night in the dark, along with your saddened heart
Keep crying by yourself and for your pains at heart.
Let the heavenly stars only be with you
To join you in your tears and sorrows.

And when at dawn the sun spreads its bright rays
All around the earth and the universe
Keep smiling to all happily and care free.
Keep your tears to yourself and keep waiting in the dark.



DO BELIEVE ME

Translated from Armenian by Daniel Janoyan
Glendale, October 22, 1999

 
Within your dark eyes
There is a fire and also a desire.
Whenever I mention your name
My heart begins to tremble.
Whenever you are away from me
And I hear nothing from you
My soul begins to lament
Leaving me without love and becomes sad again.

I am your shadow, inseparable from you.
Never ever try to keep me away from you.
If there happens to be someone who'd love you
Within this universe, that would only be me,
Do believe, believe me!

If you want me to depart from life,
Then go ahead and leave me.
If you want me to live a full life,
Then you need always to stay by me.
During the dark nights
When the wind blows by,
That's definitely my cry and me
Do believe, believe me!


 
HOW COME

Translated from Armenian by Daniel Janoyan
Glendale, October 22, 1999

 
How come Almighty God
When you created the heavens and the universe
All through the heavens you spread
Just one kind of diamond stars you spread
Where as you in your creation various human races you spread?

I've always wanted to know -
How come there are people who die for ever
Once they are dead, while there are others
Who live in eternity after they are dead?
Life for many is just like a Spring forever,
How come for many others it's Fall forever?

We are born good natured full of skills and talent,
But how come soon after
Enslaved we become to the material evil?

It's so very easy to break someone's heart,
Why don’t we instead try to bring cheer to someone's broken heart?

Why to this world we come with a cry,
But when we depart not a single word do we ever sigh?



SEEDS OF THE FATHERLAND

Translated from Armenian by Daniel Janoyan
 
I once planted seeds of roses
Brought with me from the Fatherland,
So that from those very same roses
I'd smell the scents of my Fatherland.

And every day during the dawn
I visited my flower seeds.
Watering them abundantly
I kept waiting for their budding.

Days passed by and so did months,
Delicate sprouts came to life,
Bringing life to my hopeless heart
By turning into a bush of blossoming roses.

Then after months rolling by
Not a flower did I see
No matter how carefully I cared for them
Faded bushes I could only see.

My green and fresh leaves
Turned yellow and discolored
As the warm Spring of my garden went by
And instead the cold Fall came by.

The roses I was waiting for
I had no chance to see at all.
Beneath the bushes I only found
A few of my seeds left behind.

I know for sure that those very seeds
Will one day for sure blossom indeed,
But what they do need is the waters,
The sunshine and the earth of the Fatherland.




THE EVERGREEN WILLOW TREE

Translated from Armenian by Daniel Janoyan
 
All year round the silent graceful willow tree
With hanging branches gently rocking
And a deep sorrow and pain at heart
It kept crying and weeping at heart.

Whoever passed by saw the willow tree
And admired its very sight.
But silently and feeling guilty
It kept rocking very calmly.

No one ever dared to ask why
Its branches were always downward hanging.
No one ever wanted to know how
The willow tree kept living ever guilty.

Let people think I have no grief.
Let them evergreen always see me.
If at some point I tell them my grief
Will I ever for my pain find any remedy?

Let no one know how deep is my grief
Which is heartfelt with no limits.
So long as the wind is rocking me
That's my medicine and my remedy.

My whole life has been silent and speechless
Rocking gently with my branches.
A deep sorrow and pain at heart
I keep crying and weeping at heart.



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last updated January 23, 2000

 

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