The Metaphor

Almost the best metaphor I have ever read is the one in the book Mahrem by Elif Şafak. This book has been translated into English by Brendan Freely and the English name of the book is "The Gaze". I'd like to share the words by quoting. But... I am not sure if I could translate the sentences into English well. First, I am giving the original Turkish ones:

"Yokuşun ikinci kısmının son adımında dönüp de geriye bakanlar, denizi görebilirdi. Mavi, masmaviydi deniz; rehindi duru durgunluğunda. Bazı kadınlar, bazı bazı, delice bir fikre kapılırdı. Deniz, birikmiş sütünü akıtacak ağız arayan bir meme ucu gibi pütür pütür kabarır, sızım sızım sızlar, usul usul çağırırdı uzaktan. Şimdi... ne geçmişe kederlenmek, ne geleceğe didinmek; sanki... sadece ve sadece gözler-kapalı-ağız-açık kendini salarak, şu anı kana kana emmekle mümkün olabilecekti zamana doyabilmek." Page 35-36

The sea and the nipple/areola metaphor... This lady rules the language. And my translation for the paragraph above:

"On the last step of the hill's second part, the ones who stop a while and look back could see the sea. The sea was blue, deep blue; pledged by its pure quiescent. Some women, sometimes, cherish an illusion. The sea uprises so rough, like a saturated nipple seeking for an opening to pour its milk, aches so deeply, calls so quietly. Now... not to deplore for the past, not to fag for the future; as if... it would be possible to get enough of time merely by releasing yourself and sucking the current moment deeply with eyes-shut-open-mouthed."

I hope I could have carried the original taste of Elif Şafak's style to English. Read "The Gaze" for the official literary pleasure ;)