Poem Of The Month: February 2010
"A Thousand Humans" by Gilberte De Leger. Translated from the Dutch by Kari Bert
Taken from the Collection "The Feast of Burning Tongues."
DUIZEND MENSEN
‘Heb duizend mensen liefgehad
in honderd dromen
van hoop en geloof;
telkens ontwaakt
in een morgen
zonder gisteren.
En jij mijn lief
hebt samen met mij
mensen gezocht
in het gemaskerd bal
dat leven heet.
We zijn ontwaakt
in elkanders ogen.
We droomden een god in mensentaal
en vonden hem in schapen
en in wolven
in merels en in gieren
in goed en kwaad
-mensensieraadwij-
zijn raadsels
voor de rovers .
A THOUSAND HUMANS
I have loved a thousand humans
in a hundred dreams
of hope and faith;
and each time woken up
in a morning
without a yesterday.
And you, my love,
have searched with me
for humans
in the masked ball
called Life.
We awoke in the eyes
of each other.
We dreamed a god in human speech
and found him in sheep
and in wolves
in blackbirds and in vultures
in good and in evil
- human ornament-
We are riddles
for the robbers.
Copyright © Gilberte De Leger 2010
Copyright © Kari Bert 2010
The author has asserted her/his right under Section 77
of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988
to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by Lapwing Publications