Bones Will Crow: An Anthology of Burmese Poetry

269 Pages·2013·22.056 MB·English

by  Ko Ko Thett, James Byrne

BONES
WILL
CROW

AN ANTHOLOGY OF BURMESE POETRY
EDITED BY KO KO THETT AND JAMES BYRNE
N I U P R E S S I Dekalb, II
© 2013 by Northern Illin.ois University Press
Published by the Northern Illinois University Press,
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
A version of Bones Will Crow, entitled 'Bones Will Crow: 15
Contemporary Poets' was published in the United Kingdom by Arc
Publications Ltd. in July 2012.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bones will crow : an anthology of Burmese poetry I
edited and translated by Ko Ko Thett & James Byrne.
pagescm
Summary: "This is the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poets pub
lished in the United States. It includes the work of Burmese poets who have
been in exile and in prison. It will announce to American readers the vitality
and importance of Burmese poetry to world literature"
-Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-87580-691-4 (pbk: alk. paper)
-ISBN 978-1-60909-086-9 (e-book)
1. Burmese poetry-Translations into English. I. Ko Ko Thett, 1972-
editor of compilation, translator. II. Byrne, James, 1977-
editor of compilation, translator.
PL3984.5.E5B663 2013
895'.81408 dc23
2013009416
ko ko thett
dedicates this book to
his parents and to a little goby
James Byrne is grateful for a Stein Fellowship from
New York University during the early period of his research
on this anthology. Additional thanks to Tony Ward and
Angela Jarman at Arc.
CONTENTS
Foreword-Ruth Padel I 11
Editors' Preface I 15
Introduction - Zeyar Lynn I 17
TIN MOE
Biographical note I 25
26 I ~:QG~:r.xfJo?q.S'iP: • from TI1e Years We Didn't
See the Dawn I 27
• Desert Years I 33
• from A Standard Human Wish/ 35
• Meeting with the Buddha I 37
THITSAR Nl
Biographical note I 45
46 I y~Gof>G:xY.> 0101J"!P= • from Redundant Sentences I 47
52 I 3dQ;:SQ o • Untitled 1 I 53
52 I roa5t.roG:Gcw~§8: • Handwalking I 53
54 I .p')G~: • Obituary I 55
56 I 3dQE§Q 9 • Untitled 3 I 57
AUNG CHEIMT
Biographical note I 61
62 I G3d.>t~~1.~8: • Aung Cheimt Goes
6ed~C to the Cinema I 63
64 I ::nd5~8:'iP:rroSp • Flashback Journal I 65
68 I u~:<9Gbpa5~.3d~S • After Prufrock's
~~8:~ 9=~ 'Love Song' I 69
72 I <9oS~U103~Q~ • You Will Read I 73
MA El
Biographical note I 79
• A Letter for Lovers and
Haters I 81
• A Catastrophic Rune /85
• My Island /87
• Weather Forecast I 89
Contents I 7
MAUNG CHAW NWE
Biographical note I 95
96 I Q~OO?Gf>~ Qtqp:~... • Mr. Charley ... I 97
98 I o8rr~cooo: • A Sun-ripened Song I 99
100 I ~mS: • Harbour I 101
106 I C'j?~[oS.y.~:Q?co<J.Y)8 • Unpopular Chap/ 107
MAUNG PYIYT MIN
Biographical note I 119
120 I co~ ~J.:Gf>8:t. .. • A Bunch of 52 Keys I 121
122 I SdQoS~::j:c.Or~~ • Shall I Plunge into a
Big Bummer? I 123
126 I co.y.?oS~: §8o8 • The Last Element I 127
128 I OOQ:oo§8: • Yearning I 129
KHIN AUNG AYE
Biographical note I 133
134 I CO<if?06aS • Achilles' Heel I 135
138 I JO~OI ~oomqp ... • 2010 the curvaceousness
of Burmese poetry I 139
140 I Q<Oqp.§8§8: ... • State of Unhappiness ... I 141
a+;;; •
142 I G:x>oj>oS~ gun and cheese I 143
ZEYARLYNN
Biographical note I 147
148 I qb:>~t:(J)') qlo.:>~t:QO(oS~: • My History is Not Mine I 149
150 I 'roS~oS~~ ~:bproG:~: • The Ways of the Beards I 151
•
152 I oo~O:~: Slide Show I 153
158 I ~oS3Soo • Sling Bag I 159
MAUNG THEIN ZAW
Biographical note I 165
166 I SdC(OJ~ • the heat bearer I 167
168 I Qt?~ • mantra I 169
168 I !f02t.oot§oot§.y.oS:m: • deva right in front of dukkha I 169
170 I 03~~o • clue I 171
8 I Bones Will Crow
MOEZAW
Biographical note I 175
• Rose, 1985 I 177
• Vera I 181
• Story I 181
• Moonless Night I 183
• Three Friends I 185
MOE WAY
Biographical note I 191
192 I d5~~bjt • If You Need To Piss ... I 193
:D~::DQ~:m:::>.or:n
194 I o 0?d'x:noSoooS • Watch Out Maung
<D~ <D~t::D~CO'): Maw1g ... I 195
196 1c oo:r:>toom co§:>8~: • Misfits within Limits I 197
198 I coo:nt3d.>o~m~:,;p • Vuvuzela I 199
~~8lC\Y.)
202 I m§E& o5.p9 • So the Library, So Also the
[9 o5.p9 Museum I 203
KO KOTHETT
Biographical note I 207
208 I ... <D.§.<">'1J8§8: • panning for alluvialgold ... /209
210 I ~cocr:f)~a roo5y6d5:§8:~... • timely applause and toothy
smiles I 211
212 I §~~~SbjcR~q;> • the burden of being bama I 213
216 I §~aSoom CO')Obj • from permanent
:DQt::D<">'1jt:~: installations I 217
EAINDRA
Biographical note I 221
222 I ~~~8 :::>.3an8: • Lullaby for a Night I 223
222 I c\Sc\5 • Lily I 223
226 I SaS moo:cR068: • Pitch for a Playful Mind I 227
228 I ~,<Db)<DD6<Doo o5anQ<Df>bjcR Cl: • Molly, Whose Tank Has Been
Emptied I 229
230 I ~~cot.··· ~~8QtooSbjo5 • The Day (Before That Day) I 231
Contents I 9
PANDORA
Biographical note I 237
• The Scene of the City Siege
by the Daft I 239
• An Evening with a
City Girl I 241
244 I G~Gj9o:>t(;.x:Xf3~ • Entertainment I 245
246 I roa5Gjp~oo8~: • The Sniper I 247
MAUNGYU PY
Biographical note I 251
252 I ~~t. ~ooSG61a5 • Just Like This, Again This
Time I 253
254 I <q~CY(~ JOOO • Yangon 2010 I 255
256 I GG-f~m... • A UFO Sighting ... I 257
258 I G<qQ§tB:G3J')a51{' • Under the Great Ice Sheet I 259
Glossary of Burmese Terms I 263
Biographical Notes on
Editors & Translators I 265