MEN

Men were helplessly squatting by the crossroads,
Their foreheads and hands all wrinkled.
As if shackled by thoughts,
Their faces reflect anxiety.

They are unaware of the fire in their hearts,
One can see in their eyes longing for land,
Their hands have toiled in vain for many years,
Like water gone astray.

One among them who found the sun inside him
Like a mountain clearing off the haze
Got up and spoke thunder-like:
“Resignation does not become us!”

“We came to this world to live,
We can create goodness and beauty.”
The road turned bright and sunny,
Their eyes lit up with resolve.

Oğuz Tansel
Translated by Aysıt Tansel
World of Tales, Elips Kitap, 2012