Poem

Marije Langelaar

Audio Side by side

Now

Now
emerge the seeds
the biting morning light catches the hands

The bare shed
lays down its walls before us

Now – divine miracle rumbles the thunder

piercing rays light up a slow stage

the dark bull that undresses its love
and mates in a far corner

dutifully the banners fly
mutedly fruits fall in the sand

Barely audible the day had gone
final subsiding cries

Nu

Nu
ontpoppen de zaden
vangt het barre ochtendlicht de handen

De kale schuur
legt zijn muren voor ons neer

Nu – godswonder rommelt de donder

helle stralen belichten een langzaam toneel

de donkere stier die zijn lief ontkleedt
en paart in een uithoek

dienstplichtig wapperen de vaandels
gedempt vallen vruchten in het zand

Nauwelijks hoorbaar was de dag gegaan
laatste verstommende kreten

Marije Langelaar

(The Netherlands, 1978)

Marije Langelaar (Goes, 1978) is an artist and poet. She won literary acclaim with her first collection, De rivier als vlakte (The river as plain). For her second collection, De schuur in (Into the shed), she was awarded the biennial Hugues C. Pernath Prize, and the book was also nominated for the Jo Peters Poetry Prize and the J.C. Bloem Prize. Her latest collection Vonkt (It Sparks) won the J...