Was born in Baku in 1960. He lives in Krasnoyarsk. A member of the Union of Writers of Russia and other writers ‘organizations of Russia and Ukraine, honorary member of the Writers’ Union of Azerbaijan, a member of the Russian Geographical Society, Co-Chairman of the Literary Council of the Assembly of Peoples of Eurasia, a member of the PEN International Writing Club. The author of 68 books of poetry and prose. Laureate of the State Literary Prize of the Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous district, laureate of the National Prize “Silver Feather of Russia”, “For the Good of the World”. The Russian-Swedish award “The North is a country without borders”, the ZA-ZA Verlag publishing House award (Germany), the Homer Award (Greece), diplomas of the Italian competitions” La Academia Giulia Brignone” and ” Vincenzo Padula” (second place), finalist of the 2021 Prize in honor of the poet Anibal Rodriguez Sanchez (Venezuela). Silver medal of the IV Eurasia Literary Festival of Festivals – “For the preservation of national identity when creating works on a different language basis “. Participant of the 31st International Poetry Festival in Medellin (2021). Gandhi Jayanti Prize (India, 2021). Akhadov’s books have been published in Russia, the USA, Mexico, Peru, Serbia and India in Russian, English, Spanish and Serbian; they are available in the largest Russian libraries, the British Library and the Library of the US Congress
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С уважением,
Эльдар Ахадов
TREE
Artillery shots. Foxtrot sounds.
Villages and ancient manuscripts burn.
And only the tree outside the window keeps waiting.
Whenever you glance at it
The mind darkens. Ice crumbles.
A fiery moon ascends.
And only the tree outside the window keeps waiting.
Whenever you glance at it
You wander around for days on end.
Walls before you. Walls behind you.
Nothing is any use.
And only the tree outside the window keeps waiting.
Whenever you glance at it
Echoes turn into a watery abyss.
Time collapses and vanishes.
And only the tree outside the window keeps waiting.
Whenever you glance at it
You turn into snow falling.
Into a whisper in darkness.
But the tree outside the window keeps waiting for you
For this tree is just like you.
Translated from Russian into English by Richard Berengarten
PRAYER ABOUT YOU
I beg You, My Lord, give the Man,
who is reading these entries, all that s/he begs You for!
Give it to him/her full measure, as only You can give this way!
And let him/her be happy in all his/her days, and if not possible, at least to some extent.
Oh Lord, give him/her good health and love of family and friends, understanding, and sympathy…
Make his\her inner man to shine perennially with love to all existence.
Shield him/her from swear-words, bitterness and grudging, wars and deaths, misery and mental anguish.
If all this is destiny, do not leave him/her, give consolation.
Save all that is precious to him/her on earth.
Even if it is late to beg for it, do not deprive him/her of memory …
I am not aware if the worshipper reading this prayer is believer in You.
But even if s/he is not: help him/her! Let him/her not feel alone but be needed and loved…
Oh My Lord, the most Merciful and Compassionate!
Fulfill my wish! Fulfill it in a way that, before I close my eyes,
I could say: “Bless You, my Lord! You hear my prayers”! Translated from Russian into English by Isa Akhadov
EXCEPT YOU…
I tore all your photos.
But it did not help. I remembered you.
I went very far and never came back.
But it did not help I remembered you.
I met with others and was loved.
But it did not help. I remembered you.
I got drunk – like dead, like a shoemaker, like a tramp, like the last creature.
But it did not help. I remembered you.
I got married, had children, became home-grown.
But it did not help. I remembered you.
I’m getting old. Everything is eroding from memory.
Everything. Except you.
Translated from Russian into English by Brian Henry Tomlinson
