Thy saintly face
In beauteous grace
Doth shine with virgin beauty sweet.
I humbly pray
And homage pay,
O'erwhelmed by sorrow at thy feet.
In joy I gaze,
In grief I gaze,
Oh, let me gaze thus e'er on thee.
Oh, let me sleep
In slumber deep,
My country's downfall not to see!
A bower sublime,
This realm of thine;
Thy glory o'er it shines no more!
No splendour bright
Doth pierce with light
The gloom that shrouds its fame of yore!
Though like a dream,
A flashing gleam
A glorious sunset hid by night,
Thy past inspires
And kindles fires
In souls devoid of joy and light!
Though grieved and mute,
In solitude,
Hear thou my prayer of deep distress...
Thy land restore
To joy once more,
And once again thy country bless.
Let valour grand
Inspire thy land
And make it as of yore renowned
With faith divine
And language fine,
With knowledge deep and wisdom crowned!
Let victory's cry,
Resounding high,
Redeem thy might of former time!
With eager ear
We crave to hear
Great Rustaveli's word sublime!
We beg of thee
To make us free
And lead us on to liberty...
But woe, thy eyes
See but the skies
And not thy son in slavery!
Thus humbled low,
Thy son below,
A wretch unmanned, is stricken mute!
All hopes have fled,
All joy is dead:
By cruel despair I stand subdued!
Woe if thy name
And gloried fame
Will never rise again to bloom...
Perchance what fell
Was hurled to hell
By ravens black to death and doom!
A world of lies
Where honour dies,
And all that fades ne'er revives...
Of glory's flame
That crowned thy name
Is this the relic that survives?
Midst grass and weeds
And tangled reeds
The temple's ruins stand grim and tall,
Where Tamari's face
In hallowed grace
Is traced upon a crumbling wall!

Snow fell on winter gardens,
a coffin was brought out
and the standards unfolded
caught by the dishevelled breeze.
The roadway was desolate,
without form and without shape.
One more coffin was brought out…
The raven's exhortation:
Let the bells toll! Bury them!
Snow fell on winter gardens.

Galaktion Tabidze was born in Georgia, in 1892. Much of his work is influenced by Symbolists, Tablize (who survived the purges of the '30s) was one of the most recognizable Georgian poets of the the early 20th Century, especially by the newly Sovietization of Georgia in 1921, he was recognized by some of the top Communist Leaders of that time.

One of his most influential books was called, "Artistic Flowers" (1919)

During that time of the Communist occupation of Georgia, this meant that they had to recognize the people who were already shown to be of popularity, especially Modernists such as Tabidze, and show them more of a Socialistic realism view on life. Tabidze would often, in future works, simulate, and often times parody these changes. Which meant that he had to trick those who read his work as being for Socialism and not Modernism. A lot of people in his time/government did misinterpret his work.

Tabidze would often depict his frustration and suffering due to the dramatic spiritual statement, his faithlessness and his inner conflict.

He died in 1959.


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Galagtion Tabidze (1892-1959). Georgian poet. Born in the village of Chkviisi, he studied at the Tbilisi Theological Seminary, but became involved in revolutionary circles. In 1908, he published his first writings and later traveled to Russia and Europe, where he was influenced by the symbolists. A remarkably talented poet, he authored thousands of poems that established him as one of the greatest Georgian poets and accorded him the rare honor of being known simply as Galaktion. Among his most famous poems are Usikvarulod, Me da Ghame, Kari hkris, Droshebi chkara, Sasaplaoni, etc. Although he survived the Stalinist purges, the deaths of his wife and friends plunged him into depression and alcoholism. He was eventually placed in a psychiatric hospital but jumped to his death from the hospital window in 1959.

The sea grew gray in the coming night.
You stood on the shore like a guiding light.
Your beauty lashed at me like fire,
Sweet adoration and desire.
A ship at sea enthralls the sight
As love — the heart with sweet delight.
I watched the fading ship depart…
I felt a pain... pain in my heart.
The vessel bore with her the fire
And ecstasy of sweet desire.

Somewhere I saw a face,
Lovely...
It haunts my wake and sleep.
Love words whisper in my ear,
Soft hands touch caressingly,
Breast clings to breast,
Lips to lips,
Stealthily,
Yet unseen...
I searched for her,
Long and far...
In vain!
I know how far away she is, yet, —
Why does her nearness torture?!

With pen in hand I sit alone while night is burning,
melting, pale.
The breeze that comes in from the window tells me the
valleys' fairy tale.
The earth tries to remove the veil the moon has thrown
over her face.
The wind beneath my window sways with lilacs in a
loose embrace.
Blue columns rise, then lean against the softness of
a dove-hued sky
As full of passion as I would these lines with rhymes
to glorify.
Enchantment silently transforms the world with stealthy
magic light
As full of passionate emotions as my heart this
very night.
Within my heart I long have borne a secret hidden from
all eyes
Lest it be soiled by breath or touch deep in my heart
secure it lies.
None knows what sorrow-burdened load that one heart can
in silence bear;
None knows the anguish that is mine, concealed within
my heart fore'er.
No warm embraces of smooth arms, no wonders of
love-laden breasts
Can ever lure away the secret that in my heart securely
rests.
No sleep, however heavy-eyed, no bowl with everflowing
wine
Can reach the secret guarded in the darkness of this
heart of mine.
In sleepless hours when night shines on my window in
a clear white light
I open wide my heart and show my secret to the clear
white night.
Night knows the anguish I endured, the happiness that
passed me by.
In all the world we are but two —
night and I, night and I!