dubitanda (ever in doubt)

whisper ⋮ waves

Whisper, whispering waves…
I have hope – hope that you know and can tell me:
My life’s one love is way out there, drilling deep for oil
Will he return to me from the sea’s embrace?

I just put our baby to bed
Moonlight streams in silver, bathes her cradle
Send me quiet word of him (how else am I to know?)
Whisper it, whisper, oh waves…

This night goes on (and on), the moon roams far away
A distant breeze sweeps over the Caspian sea-blue
Oh waters, hurry, please… I long for my love
Waves, break the good news (how my heart races!)

Swathes of blue, give my love safe passage
Let him come again, smooth-browed, resplendent
For the sons of Absheron, of our golden land
Oftentimes return in gleaming glory

Whisper, whispering waves…
I have hope – hope that you know and can tell me:
My life’s one love is way out there, drilling deep for oil
Will he return to me from the sea’s embrace?

I just put our baby to bed
Moonlight streams in silver, bathes her cradle
Send me quiet word of him (how else am I to know?)
Whisper it, whisper, oh waves…

An Azerbaijani song sung by Şövkət Ələkbərova

Pıçıldaşın, pıçıldaşın, ləpələr
Bəlkə mənə bir sözünüz var sizin
Buruq qazır mənim ömür yoldaşım
Qayıdırmı qucağından denizin?

Körpemizi yatırmışam indice
Beşiyine Ay nurunu sepeler
Sevgilimden xeber verib gizlice
Pıçıldaşın, pışıldaşın, lepeler

Gece keçir Ay dolanıb üfüqde
Göy Xezerin sinesinde meh esir
Ah tez olun darıxıram, ey sular
Müjde verin seven qelbim telesir

Mavi sular sevgilime yol verin
O qayıtsın alnı açıq üzü ağ
Çünki qızıl Abşeronun oğlunda
Bir adetdir zeferlerle qayıtmaq

Pıçıldaşın, pıçıldaşın, ləpələr
Bəlkə mənə bir sözünüz var sizin
Buruq qazır mənim ömür yoldaşım
Qayıdırmı qucağından denizin?

Körpemizi yatırmışam indice
Beşiyine Ay nurunu sepeler
Sevgilimden xeber verib gizlice
Pıçıldaşın, pışıldaşın, lepeler

Translated for the love of it.

 

This Azerbaijani song – “Whisper, Waves” [“Pıçıldaşın, Ləpələr”] – was recorded by the legendary singer Şövkət Ələkbərova (1922–1993), likely during the 1960s.

 

The music is by Andrey Babayev (1923–1964).

 

The lyrics are by the poet İslam Səfərli (1923–1974).

 

Discovered during team research for the Opening Ceremony of the First European Games held in Baku, on the shores of the Caspian, in 2015 – that is, for a work titled Origins, conceived and directed by Dimitris Papaioannou (in which this song did not appear, but its beauty is hard to forget. How my heart races!).

 

The image – snapped on said shores of the Caspian on 13 March 2017 (early afternoon) – slowly fades into full colour from yellow. “Full colour” here means a panoply of greys, with but the faintest bruise of sky-blue breaking through (near the top).

 

Consider “whisper ⋮ waves” alongside two other dubitanda – “agleam ⋮ bereft” and “listing ⋮ sorrow” – to find three figures calling out to various seas (Aegean, Caspian, otherworldly), aching for loves (child or parent or spouse) beyond reach.

 

A triptych of longing (via Kitsopoulou and Cavafy and Səfərli):

 

waiting this whole night through
one ear listing always to the wind
whisper it, whisper, oh waves

 

These three translations informed one another (you can spot the ways).

 
 

see also
agleam ⋮ bereft
listing ⋮ sorrow