Vazha-Pshavela
Every genius is nourished by his native land. Geniuses are those who can be received by other nations like their native sons,” Writes famous Georgian poet, Vazha-Pshavela in his iconic essay, “Cosmopolitanism and Patriotism.” Little did he realize that he himself was the personification of all this: A genius, whose work accurately portrays the divinity of earthly energy that unites all life on earth, a child of mountainous region of Pshavi, who felt both the beauty of nature and the chaos humanity caused to it. Sadly, due to the fact that southern Caucasian literature is unknown to the mainstream audience, other nations barely had any chance to receive Vazha as their “native son”, which is why I am here today, writing a short summary of his work and analyzing it through my translations, so please, hear both me and Vazha-Pshavela out, as we have a lot important things to say.
Child, why do you cry, What misfortune has come by? Enduring while in distress, Has always been the rule of a man!
შვილო, რად სტირი ნეტარა, რა უბედობა გეწვია? ჭირში ყოფნის დროს გაძლება მუდამ ვაჟკაცის წესია!
As you see, even the edge of endless sea, Is brief!
ჰხედავთ, მოკლეა საზღვარი უსაზღვრო ზღვისა კიდისა!..
What created me as a human being? Why did I not come as rain? I could have been forever On clouds core and chest, as bead and chain.
რამ შემქმნა ადამიანად? რატომ არ მოვედ წვიმადა, რომ ვყოფილიყავ მუდამა ღრუბელთ გულ-მკერდის მძივადა.
Lika Sharashidze's blog on Vazha Pshavela is a wonderful introduction to the world of the Georgian mokheve. The mokheve inhabits the mountains of the southern Caucasus -Vazha Pshavela's domain of folk stories, spirits, animals, and humans struggling with the challenges of a wild and fantastic landscape. The poetry, beautifully translated by Lika Sharashidze, is from a different world which reminds us of how connected we are with all that is around us.