IMANTS ZIEDONIS(1933)

His first publications were in 1956.
Ziedonis belongs to the poetic generation,of the late 50th and the early 60th, who expressed free thoughts, seeking a new expression, holding up the nation’s spiritual strength.
The author’s poetry is charactised by original thoughts and expressions, unexpected flashes of ideas and theses, paradoxes, realia of everyday speech in poetry, combinig the fragile and the harsh, philosophy.

Motorcycle

There is nothing yet
Only lilac taste in the mornings
And white fog
Sleeps in apple trees flowers
I will leave everything I have
Couse it is not the main
And those who know, what the road is
They will forgive me.

There is nothing yet.
Only nights do not have peace
Road columns are walking around the house
And asking about me
Stars are shininhg in
The motorcycle’s eyes
In strange presentiment.

There is nothing yet
Motorkey is sleeping on the table
Oil is sleeping in the tankard
And the driver is sleeping in a difficult sleep
But on a black road’s surfacing
With the first morning dew
Persentimental descends.

***

Motor-motors

IN cylinder,
Spark,
Explosion...
IN cylinder,
Spark,
Explosion!
And the motors roars.
Guys this way ‘s started!
Only the long roar stays after us,
And whirlwinds mix highway’s dust.

One tenth of a second in the cilinder’s heart
Pressure grows,
Other second and sparkles lightening thin.
And guys, all this life becomes as one fling into infinity,
One race into infinity...

Days are like series of explosions.
Breathe in,
Breath out,
Motor,
Pulls you put through life.
Other thungs are not important.

Road is very easy, as a rēbuss
Road is so odorant as July
And dirty as March.
There is no finish and won’t be, there is only a start.

OJĀRS VĀCIETIS (1933 -1983)

Has entered the poetry with a youthful excite-ment, frankness and new winds (collections “ The wind of the far roads”, “In the fires”).
Has been an ardent hater of lies, compromises, being aware of global problems and unsafety of the modern world.
His poetry expression is variegated and rich – from classical four-line rhymes to free poetry and original rhymes of words and sounds.
Because of his talent, integrity and courage, Vācietis became a measurement of poetry and moral values

As huge candlesticks oaks are standing
In nacked autumns and springs
As Latgalian candlesticks oaks are standing
With the moonlight in their brunches

However, the moon is the moon and stars are too far
You don’t nkow about candlesticks’ sufferings.
When at midnights black silence
For candles beg candlesticks’ hands.

But over flows white eternity
Down the Milkyway streams
As huge candlesticks oaks are standing
And waiting for their candles., being his generation’s conscience.

*****

Yellow got covered with snow maples.
Snowy blossom bird-cherryes.
Meadows got covered with flowers
Ah, how sweet is to sink there!

Get covered with snow like bird-cherries
To snow till insanity snow
And then in get stunck in those meadows
And in lips like in a marsh.

Never have been so light.
Ever the sky’s horizon sounds.
Now the world gives you back,
Things you gave to me.

****

Maply got yellow covered with snow
Snowy bird-cherries snow.
With flowers will fields snow up.
How sweet it is snowing there!

To snow up white as bird-cherries,
To snow till insanity
And then sink in those fields
And lips in a march.

There was never so light
Even the sky’s horizon sounds
Now the world is giving to you all that
you have given to me.

****
Something quietly, quetly- as snow is snowing,
Something lightly- as faraway memory,
You sing to me, it does not matter, where from,
I am so close to you, that I will definitely hear.
To be closer- it is impossible anyway,
I am so close that you cannot notice the distance,
Everything that exists between us only unites,
So transparent the world can be only when it is happy.

****
Gauja

Which water would laugh so much,
If it is drawn with a hand?
God was in love when he created Gauja.

My endless trouble
My feather and paintbrush.
Bloodstring of Vidzeme,
Latvian necklace...

Among all Enisejs,
Elbas and Gangs,
I promise to find you.

I wish you
to have light on your sands
Ryes on you shores
And tears on people funerals.

I wish nor gods, neither devils
To nkow what our words mean
Buti f they catch us and burn
Then only both on one fire!

ALEKSANDRS ČAKS(1901 – 1950)

Čaks was the first Latvian writer, whose works expressed the city theme, compared to the former Latvian literature, which mostly described the country or small villages.
His first poetry collection was edited in 1925, dedicated to Riga and its life. His poetry was full of imagesand themas formerly not depicted in Latvian poetry – the night lifein the city, the homeless, the prostitutes, the poverty and even the drain-pipe.
In Čak’s works, he demonstrates his deep love to Riga, justas it is, which especially is demonstrated in the title – poem of the collection “A heart on the Pavement”
Has written also romantic poems, dedicating them to the Latvian warriors of World War I.

Ice-cream

Ice- cream!!!
How many times I have gone by tram
Without a ticket
Only to buy you!

Ice-cream,
Your waffle
Blossom for money
On every corner of a ciry,
Your waffles
Wonderfully yellow,
As in shops of tearoze boulevards,
Your waffles,
Pink as blod,
As lips of ladies and auto nightroom.

Ice-cream
The rarest stamps
With multi-coloured tigers as a show-windows,
With long giraffes as a radio towers
I have sold for you.

Ice- cream
Your coolness seductive
I have felt sharplier
Then girl’s lips and fear,
You,
A calendar of my agedness,
Loving you
I was learning to love
All my life and longing.

***

Waterspout

Waterspout
You are the first musical instrumenti f my youth,
Five-floor long,
Grey macaron,
Under your mouth
Ice is growing as a glittering beard-
The only one ice-cream for boys
which was for free.
You-
winter house for flies and centipedes,
the longest tunnel for rain.

Why for you are streching
So fragile and delicate
Along houses upwards,
As well as my sadness?

Why are you so thick
As my indoor plants
And virgins on modern postcards?

It seems that this is destiny for all those
Who strive upwards
From street’s noise
From life’s stoutness cheap.

***

City boy

Listen, ex-swineherds, I am coming to help you!
Me- a city boy,
Adhered to street smell and rudeness,
Hating everything, that is calm and slow.

As I was in my yourth
Crazy, with spit in my mouth as a beast:
I had nobody who could enter me in slowliness
As you did- meadows, cows and lambs.

That is why you like to play your pipes
And to sleep and to dream under willows.
But I like to whistle and to raise the dust on a boulevard
And to push life further as a two-wheeled carriage.

What a scrab of waiting as a servant round the corner,
When a possibility coms!-
Eh, let’s drink, for that I am a shameless person ,
Dear es swineherds...you.

FRICIS BĀRDA(1880 – 1919)

Is one of the most philosophically educated Latvian poets at the beginning of the 20th century.
Is a bright and talented master of Latvian romantic poetry.
The basis of his poetry is a visual image picture, through which one can precisely perceive the mood and feelings of the lyrical hero.
Traditional themes – Motherland, love, nature, soul, death, life, eternity-framed into an original imagery and rhythm, philosophical generalization.
A decisive pantheist in nature poetry.
is an outstanding master of children’s poetry – uses original imagery and a special love.
One of the most popular Latvian classics. His collection “A son of the Earth” has been edited at least 12, “Songs and prayers to the True of Life” – 9 times.

Rain-Lietutiņš

Rain… Rain…
Warm May rain!
The sky’s gladness glittering
Making soul to awake
How it is dancing!
How it is shining!How it is glittering
With golden fires
On lime-tree leaves
Soft, honeyed
As child’d soft hands
Raised to the sky

Birches- Bērzi

My fatherland’s saint birches
They stand bluish
And with blooming hands
Blessing growing grass

Still flower souls fields
Sending praying to the clouds

Ploughman is going to the field
Old, grey-haired already, power in limbs dissapears
But flower souls sing songs to him
And pet his cheek.

***

Bukurags

Ah, ah- he is terrible and bad,
This old, this big, this corniferous ram!
Even to Janka he doe not give way
And goes to butt with last year’s calf.
Only today to him happened everything simply.
He went to a spring to take a look at dandelions
And opposite comes the same ram as him.
o- thinks he the business will be! And bah!he strikes !
bah !and into the spring...
he jumped out ans sneezes.

ASPAZIJA (1865 – 1943)

The brightest poetess of her time, fighting for a serious art, for women’s right, for social progress.
Has opened the history of latvian modern writing.
With Aspazija, the soul enters writing.
Her poetry is very wide – from lyrical poems (collection “An armful of flowers”) to fiery, ardent calls for destroing the old world (collection “The red flowers”).

Aspazija SNOWY DAY (“Sniega diena”)
It is very nice and lovely day
All – big and small have to go out.
Light and bright snow is falling down.
Very well who has a sledge good.
They leave in snow their tracks
And go to up and down.
When wind is blowing pass and overheads.

Aspazija FAIRY TALE (“Pasaciņa”)
On a small and silver grey foal rides L
ittle Fairy-tale. People always think she
Looks like as a pretty little girt
She rides and rides and never stops.
Her foal has silver horseshoes and blue
Bridle made from flowers. She rides and
Rides and nowhere on the world she has not home.

Aspazija THAT IS ME (“Tāda es esmu” )
That is me – sometimes merry as a spring
Sometimes very sad.
Sometimes from my eyes runs spiteful fire
Sometimes lighting runs from my fingers.
That is me.
Among daily viewpoint I feel myself as rose among turnips.
I am a fire among dry switch.
That is me.

Aspazija PRINCESS (“Princese”)
I have listened so many fairy-tales.
But I do not believe them.
I want to find one so nice
That I can remember for a long time.
I want to invent one myself
Where all are nice and real true.
And the nicest would be
Where I am a princess in a golden chair.

RAINIS(1865 – 1929)

The poet gains recognition in 1903 after his collection ”Far – away moods in a blue evening” is edited.
Rainis’ personality and works are influenced by the folk-lore, the classic art traditions and the ideas of social justice.
Rainis is a disciple of the world’s great classics – Greeks, Romans, W.Shakespeare, especially J.W.Goethe.
Rainis expresses the peoples thoughts, feelings and desires at decisive historical points.
He has written lyrics, as well as revolutionary and philosophical poetry.
His poetry deals with personal progress, social development, eternity and existence, a dream of social justice.

MORNING (“Rīts”)
Morning rides on a white horse
Behind his hat is a half of the moon.
He has a golden sceptre in his hand
He creates colours up and down.
He rides to the side of the world
And stands in his white coat.
From his hands falls down pearls
And all fields and leaves full with them.

BIRD ON THE BRANCH („Putniņš”)
It is very fine to be a bird on the green branch
Wind swings me all days
Breeze sings at nights Flies me feed when fly me pass
Rain gives to drink directly in a mouth
I sing songs for kids in the morning
In twilingth for adults
I sing for myself when I am hungry
When comes winter I run away
I leave my songs for cricket
He will sing them about winter snow and sledge.

CLOUD („Mākonītis”)
One cloud has white skirts with golden covings
The second has the second to dance in the sky
Wind blows the pipe, the Thunderer plays the drums
Many clouds run to look at their dance
They crowd and push each other and
Owerturn big bowl with rain.

GOLDEN SIEVE („Zelta sietiņš”)
Laima (happiness mother) walks over fields
She sifts diamonds’ seeds throw the golden sieve
Who looks throw this golden sieve
That sees whole the world in diamonds.