Poem
Tomaž Šalamun
VIRGIL
All this blinking, gurgling, sweet stinkingdecadent soul-racked sorrel,
the love of decanting,
snails put into the mouth, glued to the heart,
stupor of marshland.
Daze of swamps, moisture swollen,
from damp and ardor overcraved soul,
pressed by cognition –
I was not tugged from Ljubljana
like you Virgil, from the province by
Caesar.
I move compactly,
fast, il duca.
Without gloom and vaporizing.
Your bad luck was:
barbarians were outside,
Rome was empty.
My good luck is:
barbarians are inside the skin of America.
I’m a Hittite.
I don’t pay because I’m high.
© Translation: 2009, Thomas Kane and Tomaž Šalamun
From: There’s the Hand and There’s the Arid Chair
Publisher: Counterpath Press, Denver, 2009
From: There’s the Hand and There’s the Arid Chair
Publisher: Counterpath Press, Denver, 2009
VERGILIUS
Al die knipperende, gorgelende, zoet stinkendezielovergoten decadente klaverzuring,
liefde van overschenken,
slakken in de mond gelegd, in het hart gelijmd,
de duizeling van marsland.
Duizeling van slijkgrond, door vocht opgezwollen,
een door vocht en hitte smachtende ziel,
belast door de druk van kennis –
Mij sleepten ze niet uit Ljubljana weg,
zoals Caesar jou uit de provincie wegvoerde,
o, Vergilius.
Ik beweeg me haastig,
en compact, il duca.
Zonder te treuren of te vervliegen.
Jouw ongeluk was
dat de barbaren buiten waren,
Rome was verlaten.
Mijn geluk is,
dat de barbaren binnen de huid van Amerika zijn.
Ik ben een Hittiet.
Ik betaal niet, want ik ben high.
© Vertaling: 2012, Roel Schuyt
VERGIL
Vse to mežeče, klokotajoče, pocasto sladko,dušepretočno dekadentno ščavje,
ljubezen prelivanja,
polži položeni v usta, zalepljeni v srce,
omama barja.
Omama močvirja, od vlage zabuhla,
od vlage in žara prehrepenjena duša,
sprešana od spoznanja —
Mene niso potegnili iz Ljubljane,
tako kot je tebe Cezar iz province,
Vergil.
Premikam se hitro,
kompaktno, il duca.
Brez otožnosti in hlapenja.
Tvoja smola je,
da so bili barbari zunaj,
Rim je bil prazen.
Moja sreča je,
da so barbari znotraj kože Amerike.
Jaz sem Hetit.
Ne plačujem, ker sem high.
© 1973, Tomaž Šalamun
From: Arena
Publisher: Založba Lipa, Koper
From: Arena
Publisher: Založba Lipa, Koper
Poems
Poems of Tomaž Šalamun
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VIRGIL
All this blinking, gurgling, sweet stinkingdecadent soul-racked sorrel,
the love of decanting,
snails put into the mouth, glued to the heart,
stupor of marshland.
Daze of swamps, moisture swollen,
from damp and ardor overcraved soul,
pressed by cognition –
I was not tugged from Ljubljana
like you Virgil, from the province by
Caesar.
I move compactly,
fast, il duca.
Without gloom and vaporizing.
Your bad luck was:
barbarians were outside,
Rome was empty.
My good luck is:
barbarians are inside the skin of America.
I’m a Hittite.
I don’t pay because I’m high.
© 2009, Thomas Kane and Tomaž Šalamun
From: There’s the Hand and There’s the Arid Chair
Publisher: 2009, Counterpath Press, Denver
From: There’s the Hand and There’s the Arid Chair
Publisher: 2009, Counterpath Press, Denver
VIRGIL
All this blinking, gurgling, sweet stinkingdecadent soul-racked sorrel,
the love of decanting,
snails put into the mouth, glued to the heart,
stupor of marshland.
Daze of swamps, moisture swollen,
from damp and ardor overcraved soul,
pressed by cognition –
I was not tugged from Ljubljana
like you Virgil, from the province by
Caesar.
I move compactly,
fast, il duca.
Without gloom and vaporizing.
Your bad luck was:
barbarians were outside,
Rome was empty.
My good luck is:
barbarians are inside the skin of America.
I’m a Hittite.
I don’t pay because I’m high.
© 2009, Thomas Kane and Tomaž Šalamun
From: There’s the Hand and There’s the Arid Chair
Publisher: 2009, Counterpath Press, Denver
From: There’s the Hand and There’s the Arid Chair
Publisher: 2009, Counterpath Press, Denver
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