Tamaz Chiladze was born in 1931 to a family of an economist and a writer, in Signagi, Georgia. Elder sibling of writer Otar Chiladze, he himself became a distinguished writer, dramatist, and poet, renowned for his literary contributions. He completed his education at the Department of Philology of Tbilisi State University in 1954. The same year marked the publication of his inaugural collection of poems. His literary journey began with the publication of his first story, ‘Taking a Walk with the Pony Phaeton,’ in Ciskari magazine. In 1965, his play ‘The Aquarium’ debuted at the Rustaveli Theater, earning recognition as a significant addition to Georgian classical dramaturgy. Chiladze credited his mother, also a poet, as his first critic.
Chiladze’s literary works have been translated into numerous languages, and he has received numerous prestigious awards, among them the Shota Rustaveli National Prize and the First Prize of West German Broadcasting for his radio-play ‘The Paradise Quartet.’ He died in 2018.
Eucalyptus and magnolia…
With their cool shade
On me,
Is it your hand?
I don’t think so,
No, I haven’t even thought
Of it,
Eucalyptus and magnolia
And the seagull
Flutters over the sea.
* * *
Bamboos in the forest,
Resemble the rain,
Making noise with
Their heels,
With emerald dresses
And tinkling earrings,
Bamboos resemble rain –
These pearl beads…
Translated from Georgian into English by Ketevan Tukhareli
