Sándor Halmosi (1971), Hungarian poet, literary translator, editor and mathematician, was born and attended grammar school in Szatmárnémeti (Satu Mare, Romania). He lived in Germany for 16 years and graduated from the University of Stuttgart. Since 2006 he has been living in Budapest, Hungary. Besides all his literary activities he gives presentations on tradition, poetry, language, and symbols. He attaches importance to promoting poetry and cultural dialogue, as well as the interconnection of literature and fine arts. In 2016 he started making cloisonné enamel artworks. Halmosi is the founder of many literary and cultural associations, organizer of workshops and salons, member of the Hungarian PEN Club (Budapest) and of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (EASAL, Paris), founding member of Poets of the Planet international poetry network established in 2023. He published a literary manifesto in February 2020, with the title Ora et labora. Crying-out for Pure Literature. This is an attempt to shine a light on the spiritual crisis of the world, through an authentic poetic stance and the responsibility of the literates – independent of their respective countries, linguistic and social characteristics. He published about 40 volumes in Hungarian and other languages.
HOGY NE ŐRÜLJ MEG
Hogy ne őrülj meg, meg kell őrülnöd minden
nap. Mint a nagy utasszállítók felszállás előtt,
még a kifutópályán, ahogy lefékeznek,
nyitogatják a szárnyakon az életfontosságú
lemezeket, tesztelik a kijelzőket, neked is
meg kell tanulnod karbantartanod a lelked,
naprakészen az érzékenységed, nem kitérni
semmi elől, hagynod, hogy a hitványság,
mint békés falvakon a vörösiszap, átfolyjon
rajtad. Amíg folyik, megtisztulhatsz.
Újra és újra.
UM NICHT WAHNSINNIG ZU WERDEN
Um nicht wahnsinnig zu werden, musst du jeden Tag
wahnsinnig werden. Wie die großen Passagierflugzeuge,
die auf der Landebahn vor dem Abflug abbremsen,
und die lebenswichtigen Platten auf ihren Tragflügeln
kontrollieren und die Displays testen, so musst du auch
lernen deine Seele zu warten, mit deiner Empfindlichkeit
auf dem Laufenden zu sein, vor nichts auszuweichen,
zulassen, dass Niedrigkeit dich, wie Rotschlamm die ruhigen
Dörfer, überläuft. Bis er fließt, kannst du dich bereinigen.
Wieder und wieder.
© Aus dem Ungarischen übersetzt von Benedek Kovács, Natalia Schmidt und Sándor Halmosi
NOT TO GO MAD
In order not to go mad, you have to go
mad each day. Like the huge passenger
aircrafts before take-off, even on the runway
as they brake they move the crucial panels
up and down on the wings, test the displays,
you also have to learn to maintain your soul,
keep your sensitivity up to date, not to avoid
anything, let the vulgarity flow through you
as the red mud flows through peaceful villages.
While flowing, you can be cleansed.
Again and again.
© Translated in English by Márta Gyermán-Tóth
CHUN NACH RAGHFÁ AS DO MHEABHAIR
Chun nach raghfá as do mheabhair, ní mór duit
dul as do mheabhair gach lá. Ar nós na móreitleán
paisinéirí roimh dóibh éirí san aer, fiú ar an rúidbhealach
nuair a bhrúitear na coscáin bogann na painéil bharrthábhachtacha
suas síos ar na sciatháin, déantar an taispeánadh a thástáil,
beidh ortsa foghlaim chomh maith conas d'anam a chaomhnú,
do leochaileacht a choinneáil suas chun dáta, gan aon ní
a sheachaint, ligean don gháirsiúlacht a bheith ina sruth tríot
faoi mar a imíonn an láib dhearg ina sruth trí shráidbhailte séimhe.
Is féidir tú a ghlanadh sa sruth.
Arís is arís eile