Poetry Monday :: Light - Samarkand

  Diane of On the Border and Jenny of Procrastinating Donkey are taking turns hosting Poetry Monday, supplying us with a theme and crafty poems, they are open for suggestions. 
  This Mondays theme is Light! Thanks to Jenny. 
  Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings also writes a poem for us to enjoy.

  Light. Nothing talks to me of light as Swedish or Danish songs from the long summer's days and short nights, where the sun barely sets and it is never totally dark. 
  In my Enigmatic  post about children not being enigmatic, but grown ups are, I cite a song called The Enigmatic People. In this song a boy finds a new Samarkand - which in my English translation was rendered Xanadu, because as far as I could see, Samarkand did not have any connotations in English. 
  Samarkand is a place of unfulfilled longings, of unobtainable dreams and maybe even wild goose hunts, after a song by Thorstein Bergman, sung by Lena Andersson (YouTube link - if you leave it playing the author and composer gives his version afterwards). I have translated mostly from the Danish version, which was the one I heard growing up. It does not rhyme as does the original, but you can still sing it to the tune.

Samarkand

I woke up with smells of summer all around me,
Through the window I could feel the gentle breeze
In the sunlit morning everything did greet me
And the pillow wore impressions of your cheek.

And I knew at once - for lies are never helpful -
It has happened, that of which we sometimes spoke,
And I hope that you will find all you're seeking
If you ever find your way to Samarkand.


All around me tunes of life were gently playing,
Though I never more will share them with my friend.
Though my heart called out for you, I kept my silence,
for I knew that you will never come back home.

And I cried a bit, the nights were long and lonely,
But I hope for you you'll find your promised land.
And that someone else can be what I could never,
If you ever find your way to Samarkand.


Where I walk the world around me speaks about you
All the sunshine, winds and summer are like you
Oh I miss you now, but I've got something from you
What you gave me no-one ever takes away.

If your common sense in stranger places tells you
that we parted, it is not the simple truth. 
For my thoughts, my hopes, my longings all escort you,
If you ever find your way to Samarkand.

If you ever find your way to Samarkand.

Text and music: Thorstein Bergman 1972
Translation Charlotte (MotherOwl), 2020. 

YouTube  Danish version. 
  I first wrote another poem, but it was no good, then in the sleepless hours of an early, rainfilled morning I translated Samarkand instead.  
  For next Monday's endeavours Diane has given us Our Favourite Teacher.