Poem
Geert van Istendael
Of the juniper tree this be the tale
Oracle shrubof drift sand sentinel
of frost and blizzard
etnagh
Twig smoke
in hog foot
and dark ham and sausages
dammer wood
Twig good for smudge
to chastise pestilence
drive serpents from their nest
feldefare berie
Berry blue with cold
applied to hare and kale
berry black comrade
of distillate
In haze over turf sods needles etch
a kobold from the north
dwarf from a petrified age
Growth is centuries
centuries of
hard labour.
© Translation: 2016, Willem Groenewegen
Dit is van de jeneverboom de sage
Dit is van de jeneverboom de sage
Orakelstruikvan stuifzand schildwacht
bondgenoot
van vorst en sneeuwjacht
vrakel
Tak rook
in zwijnenpoot
en donkere ham en worsten
dammerenhout
Tak goed voor smook
die pest kastijdt
serpenten uit het nest drijft
krammetsbezie
Bes blauw van kou
aan haas en kool gewijd
bes zwarte kameraad
van destillaat
In nevel boven plaggen etsen naalden
een kobold uit het noorden
dwerg uit versteende tijd
Groei is eeuwen
eeuwen
dwangarbeid.
From: Het was wat was
Publisher: Atlas Contact,
Publisher: Atlas Contact,
Poems
Poems of Geert van Istendael
Close
Of the juniper tree this be the tale
Oracle shrubof drift sand sentinel
of frost and blizzard
etnagh
Twig smoke
in hog foot
and dark ham and sausages
dammer wood
Twig good for smudge
to chastise pestilence
drive serpents from their nest
feldefare berie
Berry blue with cold
applied to hare and kale
berry black comrade
of distillate
In haze over turf sods needles etch
a kobold from the north
dwarf from a petrified age
Growth is centuries
centuries of
hard labour.
© 2016, Willem Groenewegen
From: Het was wat was
From: Het was wat was
Of the juniper tree this be the tale
Oracle shrubof drift sand sentinel
of frost and blizzard
etnagh
Twig smoke
in hog foot
and dark ham and sausages
dammer wood
Twig good for smudge
to chastise pestilence
drive serpents from their nest
feldefare berie
Berry blue with cold
applied to hare and kale
berry black comrade
of distillate
In haze over turf sods needles etch
a kobold from the north
dwarf from a petrified age
Growth is centuries
centuries of
hard labour.
© 2016, Willem Groenewegen
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