Contemporary Azerbaijani Poetry Vagif Bayatli Odar

Contemporary Azerbaijani Poetry: Vagif Bayatli Odar


Vagif Bayatli Odar (Jabrailzada Vaqif), is a well-known Azerbaijani poet. He was born in Jabrail district of  Azerbaijan. He graduated from the State Institute of Construction Engineers and worked in construction, then as an engineer. He changed his profession and worked at the magazine Ulduz (The Star) as head of the department of poetry (1981-1990). He became the editor-in-chief of Khazar  magazine, then director of the foreign studio of the Azerbaijan State Television and Radio Company. Vagif Bayatli Odar has taken part in many international literary festivals and conferences and has been awarded several prizes for his poems. He is the author of several books, such as Under A Lone Star, The most funny dead, To love until death is less..


Under A Lone Star

This night, this night,
this black boy, this sad boy
has no hate and no spite for anyone.
This night, this night,
to break this sad and black boy’s heart
one must smash the nightingale’s nest.

This night, this night,
this sad boy with sorrow
facing the sky,
stands in front of a window
of a lovely girl, a mysterious beauty,
he stands as if under a lone star...



Headless Horsemen’s Tale

Moonlight
leads the headless horsemen -
deceiving them.
My mad soul, where are you going?
Under God’s favour?

Headless horsemen not known by earth,
by homeland, by water,
riding all over the world.
The horses sleep standing
while the headless horsemen sleeps not.
Bushes and thorns tear
at the horse’s neck.

Two dove sisters on a branch
feel that the headless horseman
is a lost brother and say:
"Lost brother, those who loved you
will never love you again in this world.
White doves fly around you.
Where are you going? Under God’s favour, brother?"

"I am coming to be a dark eye in spring.
I am coming to be the black stone in spring.
I am coming to be a brother
for two dove sisters."


In This World

Don"t touch
black birds,
wretched-plucked birds,
don"t touch!
The sky will not be pleased it!

Don"t touch the fish-
mother-of-pearl,
by pearl and by button-
The sea will not be pleased it!

My mother
winnows the children
of curse and bad words,
of bad face and envious eye,
of the sky and the sea,
My mother turns them out!

I don"t rise up the skies,
I don"t look at the sea.
I don"t climb a tree-
my mother preserves me from harm,
She turns the children out!

There are ants under
mulberry,
The hungry conveys to the full,
The full conveys to the hungry,
you might trample down them and pass
and the mulberry-tree wouldn"t be pleased it.
My mother protects me from harm,
she turns the children out!

There are ants under the mulberry,
The death may meet you in any moment.
How do you know, mummy,
that in this world
some others laugh,
some others cry.
Mummy,
I am not God,
I am not fish in the ocean.
And I am not worthy of you-
Let the children play!


I Am A Cruel Man, Kamancha

My bother-trees,
my sister-flowers,
again you are affected by a word,
you are affected by a word,
you are dried by love,
Don"t move towards me,
my eyelid tears have been covered.
The trouble gates of world,
the castle gates, the stone gates,
the orphan gates,
the empty gates are closed
to my heart, are closed.
They are closed to my eyelid tears,
I am a daredevil person of word,
cruel poor!

The God"s hand
slipped down
my forehead,
And you,
you also can"t make me to cry,
I am a cruel man, kamancha!

                Translated by Kamran Nazirli