gök yerleşmiş göle
gök yerleşmiş göle, bulutlar uçan halı
adımladık adımlıyoruz ayı, yürüyüşünü
üstünden geçiyoruz dansının, suyla zamanın
uçuşarak hidrojen etekleri süzülüyor
yanımızdan başımızdan. tan.
saçıp saçılarak tarçından maviye elmastan arıdan
tarlalar bahçeler beziyoruz yerin ipeğine
öğreniyoruz biz de ekip biçmeyi: ışığı
Nurduran Duman
the sky settled on the lake
the sky settled on the lake, the clouds a flying carpet
we prepare to step on the moon, its walk
and pass over the moon’s dance, its water and time
rustling hydrogen skirts float
passing by our sides by our heads. daybreak.
we spread and are spread from cinnamon to blue from diamond from bee
we’re graced with fields and gardens on the earth’s silk
we, too, are learning to cultivate: the light
Nurduran Duman
Translated by Andrew Wessels
Nurduran Duman
gök yerleşmiş göle / the sky settled on the lake
About Nurduran Duman
Poet, playwright, editor based in Istanbul. Pursuing her passion for the sea, received a degree as an Ocean Engineer and Naval Architect from Istanbul Technical University. And she’s a columnist in one of the most prestigious newspaper of Turkiye, Cumhuriyet. Her books include Yenilgi Oyunu (2005 Cemal Sureya Poetry Award), Istanbul’la Bakışmak and Mi Bemol. Other works: Semi Circle (2016, US), “Selected Poems” (2017, Macedonia), “Selected Poems” (2019, Belgium), and “Steps of Istanbul” (2019, China, Poetry Collection of the Year, 2nd Boao International Poetry Award). Her poems have been translated into Finnish, Spanish, Azerbaijan Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Slovak, French, German, Occitan, Italian. She featured in the #internationalwomensday2018 (#IWD18) Modern Poetry in Translation (MPT) list of ten international female poets in translation in 2018. She received Golden Camel Award of 2020 Silk Road International Poetry Awards. Member of Turkish PEN.