Poem
Jan Glas
THE HOTEL MANAGER
The hotel manager has left me.I miss him so badly that it hurts.
I’ve got to learn to sleep all over again.
I’ve got such fantastic memories.
We swam lengths each morning in ‘The Pearl’
before he went to the hotel.
We had our teeth whitened,
an endlessly beautiful summer arrived.
We biked a lot. He waved to passing boats.
It was just perfect.
My sister was happy for me that at last
I’d found somebody.
I wanted to know everything about him.
He told me about his youth, his mother,
his work as a hotel manager.
The hotel for example had 34 rooms.
He had a couple of nice colleagues.
Then I started to hold on to him
and that you must never do,
it says so in all the books.
© Translation: 2013, John Irons
DE HOTELMANAGER
De hotelmanager heeft mij verlaten.Ik mis hem zo erg dat het pijn doet.
Ik moet opnieuw leren slapen.
Ik heb zulke fantastische herinneringen.
We zwommen iedere ochtend baantjes in ‘De Parel’
voor hij naar het hotel ging.
We lieten onze tanden bleken,
er brak een eindeloos mooie zomer aan.
We fietsten veel. Hij zwaaide naar voorbijvarende boten.
Het was ideaal.
Mijn zus was blij voor me dat ik eindelijk
iemand had gevonden.
Ik wilde alles van hem weten.
Hij vertelde over zijn jeugd, z’n moeder,
over z’n werk als hotelmanager.
Het hotel had bijvoorbeeld 34 kamers.
Hij had een paar leuke collega’s.
Toen begon ik hem vast te houden
en dat moet je nooit doen,
dat staat in alle boeken.
© Vertaling: 2012, John Irons
From: Als was zij mijn vrouw
Publisher: 2012, Uitgeverij kleine Uil, Groningen
From: Als was zij mijn vrouw
Publisher: 2012, Uitgeverij kleine Uil, Groningen
DE HOTELMANAGER
De hotelmanager het mie verloaten.Ik mis hom zo slim dat t pien dut.
Ik mot opnij leren sloapen.
Ik heb zukke prachtege herinnerns.
Wie swommen elke mörn boantjes ien ‘De Parel’
veur hai noar t hotel ging.
Wie laiten onze tanden blaiken,
der brak n schitternde zummer aan.
Wie fietsen veul. Hai zwaaide noar veurbievoarende boten.
t Was ideoal.
Mien zus was blied veur mie dat ik toch nog
ain vonden haar.
Ik wilde alles van hom waiten.
Hai vertelde over zien jeugd, zien moe,
over zien waark as hotelmanager.
t Hotel haar bieveurbeeld 34 koamers.
Hai haar n poar schiere collegoas.
Toun begon ik hom vast te holden
en dat monnen je nooit doun,
dat staait ien ale bouken.
Poems
Poems of Jan Glas
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THE HOTEL MANAGER
The hotel manager has left me.I miss him so badly that it hurts.
I’ve got to learn to sleep all over again.
I’ve got such fantastic memories.
We swam lengths each morning in ‘The Pearl’
before he went to the hotel.
We had our teeth whitened,
an endlessly beautiful summer arrived.
We biked a lot. He waved to passing boats.
It was just perfect.
My sister was happy for me that at last
I’d found somebody.
I wanted to know everything about him.
He told me about his youth, his mother,
his work as a hotel manager.
The hotel for example had 34 rooms.
He had a couple of nice colleagues.
Then I started to hold on to him
and that you must never do,
it says so in all the books.
© 2013, John Irons
THE HOTEL MANAGER
The hotel manager has left me.I miss him so badly that it hurts.
I’ve got to learn to sleep all over again.
I’ve got such fantastic memories.
We swam lengths each morning in ‘The Pearl’
before he went to the hotel.
We had our teeth whitened,
an endlessly beautiful summer arrived.
We biked a lot. He waved to passing boats.
It was just perfect.
My sister was happy for me that at last
I’d found somebody.
I wanted to know everything about him.
He told me about his youth, his mother,
his work as a hotel manager.
The hotel for example had 34 rooms.
He had a couple of nice colleagues.
Then I started to hold on to him
and that you must never do,
it says so in all the books.
© 2013, John Irons
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