The document contains several poems from different countries and cultures translated into English. The poems explore themes of nature, the sky, darkness, flight, and memory. They use imagery of moonlight, wind, trees, and landscapes to convey complex emotions and philosophical ideas.

1. The sky is the limit. Bewketu Seyoum, Ethiopia
I shall …
build a house with no roof,
borrow the ladder from Jacob’s dream,
give Tekle* my legs in exchange for his wings because
I need to know if the sky is the limit.
Translated from the Amharic by Cheryl Moskowitz.
*
Saint Teklehaimanot is an Ethiopian saint who lost one of his legs because of how long he spent praying while standing.
Legend has it that God finally granted him wings.

2. Wingatui. Bill Manhire, New Zealand
Sit in the car with the headlights off.
Look out there now
where the yellow moon floats silks across the birdcage.
You might have touched that sky you lost.
You might have split that azure violin in two.

3. Look up to the Sky. Chiranan Pitpreecha, Thailand
The poet writes a rainbow of words
To light up the gloomy sky
Each place has its direful days, I know
But it is better to look up, not down
Beyond the dark cloud — rainbow
Translated from the Thai by the author.

4. An Excerpt from ‘Imprints’. Katerina Iliopoulou, Greece
I made the hammers my brothers
They hewed within me a Sphinx
I learned that I must break
Not without resistance of course
In order to sound
Translated from the Greek by John O’Kane.
From The book of soil, Melani editions Athens 2011.

5. Views of a Landscape. Rocío Cerón, Mexico
10:01am
Darkness of day. Darkness that numbs /stuns/ the ear. There are no figures or shapes,
there is land, stone, lead. Darkness of voices and rumours. And a man in flight will
cling to any thing. On the threshold – a mother a father the whole family – tell /babble/
the secret of bodies in earth.
Clear is the night when the flight arrives.
Translated from the Spanish by Tanya Huntington Hyde.
An Excerpt from Imperio/Empire (México, 2010).

6. The wind wanders in the moonlight! Ak Welsapar, Turkmenistan
From the moment of creation, the world is awesome.
The world is wise, but furious and dangerous.
Before and after us, my friend,
It was and will be in the moonlight,
As the wind ...
Translated from the Turmen by Hamid Ismailov.
From the book The Pain of Eternal Uncertainties.

7. From Summer Sonettino. Paulo Henriques Britto, Brazil
Seduced and betrayed by words.
The world is a hopeless mess.
My heart is bruised and hurt.
My soul can’t bear such treason.
My body couldn’t care less.
Translated from the Portuguese by the author.

8. Tu = stand + Valu = eight (+1). Selina Tusitala Marsh, Tuvalu
Tuvalu, ten thousand in this country
Eight atolls standing in divine poetry
From Samoa, Telematua voyaged freely
birthing bottlenose dolphin mythology
Arcing timeless blue skies in rising seas

9. 9. Agnès Agboton, Benin
From my balcony
I am listening,
tonight,
to the tree’s laughter.
That moment …
Translated from the Spanish by Maya García de Vinuesa.
From Voz de las dos orillas [My Voice from Both Shores], (Málaga: Ed. Maremoto, 2009)

10. We. Kārlis Vērdiņš, Latvia
We’ll see the winter through in warmth and light
collecting sharp and fragile objects here at home.
No unexpected turns, no sudden thrusts —
we slip into each other’s dark
to wake amidst sharp shards of rays.
Translated from the Latvian by Ieva Lešinska.

11. Clipper Homecoming
Sunday 1st July Monday 9th July Poetry Parnassus in libraries
Festival, Derry (Verbal Arts
ACE Stories. Hotel Pelirocco, Liverpool Arabic Arts In partnership with The Reading Agency
Centre Derry)
Brighton Festival
Wednesday 4th July
Tuesday 3rd July Friday 6th July Tuesday 10th July Worthing Library, with West Sussex County
Clipper Homecoming
Africa Utopia: Word Sound Contacting the World Council
Festival, Derry (Verbal Arts
Power, Queen Elizabeth Contact Theatre,
Centre Derry)
Hall, Southbank Centre, Manchester Birmingham Central Library Theatre, with
London Birmingham City Council
Park Street Poetry
Wednesday 11th
Boston Tea Party Café,
Wednesday 4th July July Thursday 5th July
Bristol (The Poetry Can)
Wasafiri & the Open Ways With Words Festival Kendal Library, with Cumbria County Council
University, Open University, Dartington Hall, Dartington
Scottish Poetry Library,
Cambridge Friday 6th July
Edinburgh
Thursday 12th July Menuhin Theatre, with Portsmouth City
Thursday 5th July Assembly Rooms, Ludlow Council
Stratford Poetry Festival
Saturday 7th July
Ledbury Poetry Festival
Shakespeare Centre, Saturday 14th July Thursday 12th July
Stratford upon Avon Liverpool Arabic Arts Nottingham Central Library, with Nottingham
Sunday 8th July Festival City Council
Poetry Parnassus in Hebden
Poetry Parnassus at Much
Bridge. The Little Theatre,
Wenlock Poetry Festival Wirksworth Eco Centre, with Derbyshire
Hebden Bridge
County Council Cultural & Community Services
Between 25th-29th June English PEN and Poetry Parnassus will be running a series of workshops at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, Slough.
Bloodaxe Books is publishing The World Record:
For more information visit the SBC website: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/poetry-parnassus/tour. For more information on Speaking Volumes visit international voices from Southbank Centre's Poetry
facebook.com/SpeakingVolumesLiveLiteratureProductions.com or follow @Speak_Volumes Parnassus edited by Neil Astley and Anna Selby