Where does our temporal,
Transcient go?
Not that, which we
Will give to the earth,
Take to heaven,
But the small pieces of
Sadness and sudden horror,
That which made us
Trouble, respect,
Which we mixed in a
Smile called the
Wonderful words.
Look, snow! It nearly
Touches the pillow
At the head of the bed.
***
Georgian poet Davit Tserediani, praised as a “great translator,” contributed significantly to bringing German- and French-language poetry to Georgian audiences, as well as to promoting Georgian culture internationally. Tserediani, who passed away in 2019, received accolades such as the Givi Margvelashvili German-Georgian Culture Award in 2017 and posthumously the Vazha-Pshavela Prize, adding to his honors, which include the Shota Rustaveli and Ilia Chavchavadze state prizes and the Saba Award for Lifetime Contribution to Georgian Literature. His translation work encompassed renowned figures like the Brothers Grimm, Goethe, Heine, Rilke, and Celan since 1981.
Translated from Georgian into English by Ketevan Tukhareli
