Are you coming?

A literary piece by: Xavier LeGrand

Translated by: Shirin Tabibzadeh

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"When love beckons to you, follow him, follow him, though his ways
are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you yield to him, though the
sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you
believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind
lays waste the garden"



My dear, do you remember that night when we were walking by the river watching its splendid flows and wondering at the beauty of the surrounding meadows? I Was looking at you walking ahead, admiring your beauty and slender body in the moonlight and thinking how different from all you were. When I looked at you, my heart was dancing with delight because you were so beautiful and your voice -- oh your voice -- was like the murmur of the river and the melodies of the breeze, and like the sound of the falling leaves. 

Then, you turned to me and asked "WHAT is love?" and I responded "Love is a miracle that will awaken ones spirit, will take you to heaven, and will give you a reason to really wish to live.  It's ecstasy will nourish your body and it's pains will elevate your soul.  Only if you can see love in its entirety, then you will know it all, otherwise you will be in darkness for ever and the gloom never ends at all. "  

At that moment, a cold wind disturbed the peace of the old willow's tresses. The velvet of clouds danced to the tune of the wind and embraced each other; and the moon, the lovely moon, escaped from the bosom of a cloud to the next and spread its silvery light on the river and the meadows and plains.

It's been a while since that night, I have not seen you for days and months and years. Today you are coming and I cannot bear the seconds until I can see your divine face. Come, come, my beloved, come to the garden. I will be waiting for you by the gate, I will be waiting for you.

The fragrance of yellow jasmines is in the air and the first roses are showing off their first bloom and the star of love should be up there, surely it will loom soon. All night, flowers and birds were all awake to have the first glance of your lovely silhouette coming down the hills, surrounded by early morning sun's golden rays, the bird's and the flower's spirits crawl into my veins. I will go to the garden and by the pond covered with petals of blossoms, I will wait for you there. 

Yes, today you are coming, my sweet, my life, my love, my light, you are coming. Come, come and walk with me in the green fields. Let's go to far off valleys and those mountains covered with wild flowers and tulips --  let us trace the footsteps of spring. Let's walk along those winding path, passing through the meadows and the orchard of wild cherries. Let's find the spring under the shade of the young willows, let's walk barefoot on the shore of the oceans and the banc of streams -- and watch the flocks of white birds flying as if in a dream. Let's go to the hilltops and see the meadows in the waves of green. Come, come my incomparable friend................

The day turned to night and I am still sitting waiting.........near the pond or by the gate........ The birds are silent and the daffodils in despair, ................
I am still waiting and waiting..........................................................

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The night too is leaving, and the morning birds are singing......... are you coming?

My........ I can hear your foot steps, my heart beats in haste...................oh but......................................................

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It is only the dawn, only the dawn limping this way, pale and gray and weeping on all the flowers and all the trees..........Alas..............

but I will be waiting here by the gate, gazing at the road, more years and months and days.

I.............................
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I now know that you won't ever come until the day I breathe. Oh yes you will come one day with a bunch of wild flowers in your arms.  You will knock on my door again and again. Your delicate hands tired, and out of breath you pound on the door frame. But there will be no sound, there will be just silence and by the door  you will bend down  and cry and moan until you are out of breath.


Down there, I will wither in the bosom of the kind earth, my lips cold, my eyes closed and my heart rotting under the soil. One day you will pass by my grave, even my dust will hear your foot steps, even my dust will sense your perfume, oh my incomparable friend. And on my tombstone you will find inscribed " I did not want you for worldly affair, I needed you as I did my breath."

 

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