Րաֆֆի Սէթեան։Time Out

Եւ սահմանները գծելէ յետոյ,
օրէնքները ընդունելէ վերջ,
դաշտը պզտիկ թուեցաւ --
մանաւանդ երբ գնդակը
յաճախ խաղավայրէն
դուրս ինկաւ …

Beirut 28-9-1975



Յառաջ 1977

Րաֆֆի Սէթեան։ՓՈԽԵՐԳՈՒԹԻՒՆ

Կէսգիշերին
նորէն
գնդացիրի
պատարագ։

(Beirut, 22-9-1975)


Յառաջ 1977

Րաֆֆի Սէթեան։ ԱՅԺՄ ԵՒ

Թերեւս ոչ (այլեւս) անյաղթ
բայց (այժմ եւ ) միշտ անխախտ։

(Beirut: 9-10-1975

Յառաջ 1977

Ralph Setian: Bird-Watching

The bald eagles perched high upon the pines

we stand silently stealthily watching

peering through telescopes and binoculars

as they majestically ignore us.

We stand.

We wait.

We watch.

We hope.

We freeze.

And then -- 

suddenly-- 

       the magic moment --

    E

  N                               !

O      T                      G

      A               N

         K          I

            E   W

              S

This poem has previously appeared in RAFT, Volume 5, 1991, and appears here with courtesy of the author. 

Quote for the month of February

Is there a significance to the fact that all my truly close friends are polyglot?


Libreville: 30-I-1974)

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975.

Ռաֆֆի Սէթեան։ [Առանձին պառկիլը]

Առանձին պառկիլը
այնքան անհաճոյ չէ
որքան առանձին ճաշելը։


Libreville: 21-XI-1973)

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Ralph Setian: [Rising like a spastic somnambulist]

Rising like a spastic somnambulist
I somehow manage to slip off
my underpants in the darkness,
tossing them into the corner...
And when I wake up in the morning
I am surprised and chargrined
to find a swarm of avid ants
voraciously lapping up
the still-moist, sticky semen.

Libreville: 18-IX-1973

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Ralph Setian: [I have taken to sleeping]

I have taken to sleeping
with my socks on,
since the nocturnal insects
seem to like the taste
of my feet best of all.


Libreville: 14-IX-1973

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Ralph Setian: [Les pluies effacent tout]

Les pluies effacent tout,
rien ne dure ici,
rien ne demeure intact --
les herbes couvrent tout,
les lianes étranglent tout,
la forêt engloutit tout --
même les illusions,
même les contre-illusions,
même les idées,
même les débris d'idées...

Libreville: 23-XI-1973

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Ralph Setian: [Après les pluies]

Après les pluies
fougueuses
de la nuit
cette odeur
frôleuse
ce matin
évoquant
le souvenir
de la senteur
de ta chair
saturée et suintante
d'amour.

Libreville: 18-XI-1973

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Ralph Setian: [You are my friend, Lizard]

You are my friend, Lizard --
do not be afraid --
you are mon semblable.
More than any other tiny creature
you are welcome
in this house.
You are my frère d'armes --
between your jaunty saurian jaws
and my harrying human heels
we will decimate
the insect-cohorts.


Libreville: 14-IX-1973

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Ralph Setian: SEREINADE

Nuit douce
et sérénissime
je suce
le serein visqueux
de ton sein suant
et de tes cuisses
qui frémissent

Libreville: 17-I-1974

Cahier noir by Ralph Setian, The Corybantic Press, Pasadena, 1975. Reprinted by permission of the author.