You were not the first lover

Though you were not the first lover,

you didn’t cause the first moaning,

new feeling warms up the old ones

and together with me you’re dimming the sun.

With fingers we write our names on the sand,

as buttons, we put the sea-shells on our chests,

and when the sun rays send us into a frenzy

we’ll splash into the sea to cool down.

Together we will hug the sea waves

no longer you bear my touch with the sea,

you rebuke and you sulk,

that I did not gift you the first place!

1926, Sea-saga

Courtesy of the Tbilisi Literature MuseumTranslated by Ana Gzirishvili

                                                                                                                                                                          *Ana Chiladze, 2021, pencil and watercolor on paper, 29x42