Archive of Issues
Archive of Narrations
Syndic Literary Journal

Returning

Written by Dmytro Chystiak

Translated from the Ukrainian by Hilary Sheers

Narrated by Philip Cioffari

Evening dust trembled above the sea.

Evening dust covered warm faces.

And your gaze from open wings of blue

Are erased by a quiet azure wave.

You sift the wind-blown sand.

Evening dust drifts into grey faces –

Only on their summits lilac lingers,

Only there, in the depths of dusky eyes,

Only there, in moist mother-of-pearl

The first far star twinkles bright

And you sink in lilac tints until

Above the sea, above the fading cliff

A swirling youth is singing, the moon already echoing

An ethereal flap of white sail

Bids farewell, in violet splashes,

In a cold shivering grape vine

(Sleep, sleep!), but on the horizon,

Behind the stillness there is life again

The white sail comes to life again

In time with the singing water’s flow,

In time with the singing ebbing tide,

In your eyes a pure lantern glows,

Mercurial singer swoons no more –

Having loved once, you will never cease to love

Having returned once, you will not return again.

 

 

 

 

 

Compiled/Published by LeRoy Chatfield
History of Syndic
Write Letter / Contact Publisher
© all photos/text

Archive of Issues

Archive of Narrations