Contemporary Azerbaijani Poetry Mammad Araz

Mammad Araz
Azerbaijan


Don"t Turn Grey, My Hair!


Why you begin to grow so early?
Why you were touched with grey?
Did my brain lose its strength?
Don"t turn grey, my hair!

Wishes are endless, life just is half,
Wrinkles increased on my forehead,
Do come to reason a little bit,
Don"t turn grey, my hair!

If  I look so sad, enemy will smile,
my friends will grieve, without fail.
Girls passed by will call me "uncle",
Don"t turn grey, my hair!

You are stone-hearted and fake!
You don"t have blood and sense!
I am still young, for conscience's  sake,
Don"t turn grey, my hair!

Life goes by too fast, I feel sorry,
My soul is full of dark thoughts.
Nice girls keep apart from me,
Don"t turn grey, my hair!
 
My voice has not risen high yet,
it has not got power from nation yet.
My heart has not grown old yet,
Don"t turn grey, my hair!

I have an inspiration - a guardian angel.
I am on the way and I must travel.
I"ve still got some unwritten novel...
Don"t turn grey, my hair!
1957.
Translated by Kamran Nazirli
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