Ms. Danae Papastratou

Dr. Danae Papastratou, from Athens Greece, poetess, fiction writer, critic, journalist, etc., has collected some of her recent poems written in many languages. Poems in this section are from her poetry book,Human Orizons, Polyglot Poetry, Athens, 1996. To contact Dr. Papastratou, please address mail to Dr. Danae Papastratou, 1a Bouboulinas, Hiliopolis – 163 45, Athens, Greece

For Dr. Danae Papastratou’s, poetry in Urdu, Japanese and Greek, please click on these languages. To read more of her poetry in these languages, or to read her poetry in French, German, and Portugues, please contact Dr. Danae Papastratou an ask how to purchase her works.

For more information about her book Human Orizons and other works, please contact Danae G. Papastratou at 1a Bouboulinas, Hiliopolis 163 43 Athens, Greece

PREFACE

To her book Human Orizons

Dr.Danae Papastratou, poetess, fiction-writer, critic, journalist etc has collected some of her recent poems in a polyglot Edition. In the first part, are included her English poems, written directly -except of two- in the language, while in the second part are her own poems translated into other languages by different Poets. The majority of these poems have been published In literary magazines and some of them are included in anthologies. D. Papastratou has received many awards among them the prize “GIOVANNI GRONCHI” (Italy), EOT, (Greece), Lutece (France), CIPAF (France) etc. She also is a member of many Associations, Societies and Acadamies abroad and in Greece. About 150 of her articles have been published in different magazines and journals.

When we just met her, she was known as a fiction writer though she has been writing Poetry for 20 years. Gradually has been transformed into a great admirer of the fine art of the verses. Her Poetry coloured by lyricism but at the same time by humour, has a rare breadth of vision, a real : poetics. Her singular use of language helps her imagination to traverse the phantastic poetical fields like a sensitive walker in a garden of flowers. The reader of those flowers collected in such a way, I am sure will enjoy them, traversing with her this garden of sentiments and colours. It is worth also noting that many excellent writers and critics have written about the works of D. Papastrato D. Siatopoulos, D. Stamelos, M. Stafylas, C. Valetas, G. Fouriotis, Y. Koutsoheras, I. M. Panayiotopoulo….

(and many others)

We are confident that a polyglot edition has more possibilities to help people truly for Understanding, Peace and Brotherhood among men.

Costas Valetas, Writer-director of “AIOLIKA GRAMMATA

OTHER WORKS BY D. PAPASTRATOU:

• “About the Promotion of Greece in the European Communities” E. Union, Essay -Athens 1967. 1 rst Prize from
  the European League of Athens.
• ”Travels with the Polar” -Athens 1978, Travel Book. Prizes from A.H.J.E.T. (Association Hellenique des Journalistes – Ecrivains du Tourisme) 1979. Also Medail Vermeil de I’ “Academie Internationale de LUTECE”, Paris 1978- 1979.
• A: Vol d’ Oiseau” -Poesies et Essais en francais -Athenes 1979. A’ Prix de C.I.P;A.F. (Cercle Int. des Pensee et Arts Fra-ncais) Paris 1980
• ”We will see in Philippoi”, Long Stories, Athenes 1981-82. Prize from C.I.P;A.F.
• ”Without Periphrasis”, Poetry 1981-82, Athenes , Prize from C.I.P;A.F.
• ”About the Poetry of Th. Retoridis” Essay- Athens 1983.
• ”SAMOTHRAKE, Bei den Heiligtumern der Grossen Gotter’, from “HELLENJKA” (extract), University of Bochum, Germany
• ”PERIGRAMMA”, Literary Magazine, Edited from 1985.
• ”ALBERT CAMUS: Les Justes-Theatre”, Traduction.
• ”DIADROMES -Through the Space and the Time” , Travel-Book, Athens 1989. 1 rst Prize GIOVANNI GRONCHI (received in Pisa, Italia 1990), also 1st Prize from the A.H.J.E.T.and E.O.T. (Organisation of Greek Tourism, 1991 )
• ”Anichnefsis”, Essais -Athens 1992, Prize “Giovanni Gronchi”.
• ”TAKASHI ARIMA, A Little Odyssey”, Poetry -Translation, Kyoto -Japan 1994.
• ”WAZIR AGHA, A Tale so Strange” , Poetry -Translation, Lahore, Pakistan and Athens 1994.
• ”GREEK POETRY TODAY”, Anthology, Aligarh INDIA, 1995.

LIGHT OF THE AEGEAN

Such a reflection
of ancient broken stones,
interrupted by the winds,
interpreted by the waves,
light of white from the sun
even through eyelids closed,
one can see the universe
becoming young again and again
exactly like
the First Day
created by God.
White splendour of the Aegean,
a joy of light and shadow,
where the old stones,
in their engraved epigrams
speak eternal truths
of Beauty and Peace,
Humanism and Brotherhood-
just what is meant by
real Human spirit,
through the centuries
through the continents,
true human conscience.
I hear in a shell
all the echo of the universe.

OUR TOWER OF BABEL

Spirit of Union towards the sky,
human optimism the colour of vanity,
our hands to the chaos of the universe.
A new page for Humanity…
I feel your thought
I feel your pain
I can breathe your scent.
We can all’ see our perspiration
over the ages.
We build and rebuild
in the hope of reaching the Divine
with the dream of reaching God,
but nothing.
The Tower of Babel
a non-existent vision for Humanity,
but good enough for us,
to forever continue the effort,
to keep hope alive.
The only gift of Pandora.

“WE WILL BECOME MUCH BETTER THAN YOU”

“We will become much better than you,”
Declared the ancient youths in their wisdom,
“We will become much worse than you,”
Insinuate -without confessing it-
Some of today’s youths in their folly.
In the landslip of values and ideals,
Looking at utopias and distant visions,
They do not nourish but the hidden hope,
To live stealthily, at the cost of others,
Away from toils but also from the furies,
Always absent and shunning work.
But the persecuted Mind sometimes avenges itself
And sooner or later crushes the rotten matter,
Which, devastated from the instincts and arrogance.
Hardly ever recovers,
Because rough is the Uphill Road and Narrow the Gate!            
trans: OTTO DEFFNER