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The Song and the Years
Your years and my years—
two shores,
two stones,
two not-beings.
Your years and my years—
your years in my pain,
my years in your heart.
May you be blessed, most unknown song.
You make us equal in wisdom,
you make us even in years.
May you be blessed, not-being,
in a time that knows no aging.
Your years and my years—
our years.
You move step by step,
pain by pain,
through my years.
I move step by step,
pain by pain,
through your years.
There is no end and there is no distance gained.
You inhabit my nonexistence.
I inhabit the conspiracy of your dreams.
May you be blessed, time,
who are ever the same.
We offer you our eyes,
yesterday made of earth,
today made of sky,
tomorrow made of earth and sky.
May you be blessed, most unimagined song,
who make us equal in wisdom,
who make us even in years.
Your years and my years—
two shores,
two stones,
two not-beings.
Aco Šopov, Not-Being (Nebidnina), 1963
Translated from the Macedonian by Christina E. Kramer and Rawley Grau, The Long Coming of the Fire, Dallas, Deep Vellum, 2023.
"The Song and the Years" recorded at Heliconian Hall, Toronto, February 14th, 2025.
Music by Michael Spiroff
Anaïs Kelsey-Verdecchia (soprano soloist), Christopher Bagan (piano), Andrew Downing (double bass), Alison Beckwith (soprano), Anika Venkatesh (alto), Larry Beckwith (tenor), Dion Mazerolle (bass).