Vladislav Koržets

Vladislav Koržets (1951 -) has been known as a song lyricist since the 1988 debut LP by Estonian blues-rock group "Ultima Thule" where his song "Aed" (Garden) displayed the more lyrical side of the band. "Aed" and other songs along with previously unpublished poetry are contained in "Laulud või nii" (Songs or So) which is his first and, if the promo blurb is to be believed, expected to be only collection of poetry.

Koržets is probably known more in Estonia as a fishing enthusiast and has three related books to his credit. The most recent, "Koržetsi suur kalaraamat" (Koržets' Big Fish Book) from 2016, is the only one listed on Library Thing. As can be seen with the fish on the latter's cover, Korzets' fishing fedora and handlebar moustache are his trademarks, so it is appropriate that they are also in the sketch used for the cover of the poetry collection.

With that background you would be correct in assuming that a love of nature and the outdoors is a major element in his poetry. Themes of humour, love, family, aging and mortality are prominent as well. Here is a personal favourite, my own amateur English translation follows:

Tähesära (Starshine)
Kui pöörad vahel taeva poole pilgu,
mis sest et huupi, ja mis sest, et harva -
siis sinu silmis taevatähti vilgub
ja sinu silmad on siis taevakarva.

Kui vaatad aina üles taeva sisse,
nii kõrgele kui ulatuvad silmad,
siis tuleb taevas sinu silmadesse
ning oled ise täheke siin ilmas.

Mis oli enne ja mis tuleb pärast,
see kõik on kaugel-kaugel-kaugel ära.
On ilmaruum, on vilkuv tähesära,
ja oled sina, teadmata, mispärast.

Ja tõuseb kõrge tähekaar su ette...
See taevatare, sinisärav värav-
See tähevärav, mille taha ära
me läheme, kui aeg on jõudnud kätte.

Sa pöörad vahel taeva poole pilgu.
Ei teagi, miks- on vahel lihtsalt tarvis.
Ja sinu silmis tähesära vilgub
ja sinu silmad on siis taeva värvi.

Starshine
When you sometimes turn your gaze to heaven,
So what if randomly, so what if rarely -
Then in your eyes the stars will blink
And your eyes become the colour of the sky.

If you ever look up at the skies,
As high as the eyes can reach,
Then the heaven comes into your eyes
And you become a star in this world.

What came before and what comes after,
All of this is far-far-far away.
There is space, there is the blinking starshine,
And there is you, not knowing why.

And the high arc of stars rise before you ...
This sky shelter, a bright blue gate -
This star gate, behind which,
We will go, when the time has come to hand.

You turn your gaze sometimes toward the heavens.
Not knowing why – it is sometimes simply necessary.
And in your eyes the starshine blinks,
And your eyes are then the colour of the sky.

You can hear an Estonian language song performance of "Tähesära" by singer/guitarist Riho Sibul here.… (more)