Gadouri

(Gado is the old name for Caucasus) Translated by Viktoria Makatsaria A black door opened, A black man came out In a black car. A black fume appeared over it. The man said: ‘Fume, where are you going?’ ‘To the town of a skull, To the low and high plants, To the lung of a human’s child, To the nerves and thoughts.’ The man took out a key, Hit the black fume, The fume tore off, The black door closed, The man went on foot. A red door opened, A red man came out In a red car. A red fume appeared over it. The man said: ‘Fume, where are you going?’ ‘To the town of a skull, To the low and high plants, To the lung of a human’s child, To the nerves and thoughts.’ The man took out a key, Hit the red fume, The fume tore off, The red door closed The man went on foot. A yellow door opened, A yellow man came out In a yellow car. A red fume appeared over it. The man said: ‘Fume, where are you going?’ ‘To the town of a skull, To the low and high plants, To the lung of a human’s child, To the nerves and thoughts.’ The man took out a key, Hit the yellow fume, The fume tore off, The yellow door closed. The man went on foot. A white door opened, A white man came out In a white car. A red fume appeared over it. The man said: ‘Fume, where are you going?’ ‘To the town of a skull, To the low and high plants, To the lung of a human’s child, To the nerves and thoughts.’ The man took out a key, Hit the white fume, The fume tore off, The white door closed, The man went on foot. A transparent door opened, A transparent man came out In a transparent car. A transparent fume appeared over it. The man said: ‘Fume, where are you going?’ ‘To the town of a skull, To the low and high plants, To the lung of a human’s child, To the nerves and thoughts.’ The man took out a key, Hit the transparent fume, The fume tore off, The transparent door closed, The man went on foot. A bread door opened, A bread man came out With a basket of bread. A bread track appeared over it. The man said: ‘Stay at home!’ The track said: ‘Go!’ They went and met another man; He came from the wine door With a jug full of wisdom. They sat down under the tree: Changed with one another, Went away, Their wives and children are waiting at home. Other men saw them And said they would come to this tree again, Maybe they will also take us. The tree heard and said: ‘Come, stand near to me.’ They went and stood near it. The transparent climbed up, The rest stayed below Gather round, bound the tree. The tree said: ‘Release me!’ The transparent answered: ‘Don’t release, stay there!’ The tree opened its leaves, Looked up with the leaves in the sky, The sky looked down with the stars, The men got frightened and said: Let us break up, everybody, We go home. The transparent dragon Swallowed the transparent man’s entrails. The white dragon Had the white man for breakfast. The yellow dragon Had the yellow man for dinner. The red dragon Had the red man for lunch. The black dragon Had the black man for supper. They stayed there where they were. Avoid us there fate, The temple saves this tree for us.