Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Elly de Waard

The days are no better

The days are no better
than expected, they are too hot
and between my two hands nothing
is being forged; only under the stars

in the smithy of the night, that
has stiffened into a rain of sparks
the moon, Hephaestos\' last
work, glints in the fragments on the wall

like fireflies and bats
fluttering to and fro, servants,
sweeping the dark floor of the
firmament and the little stream

calmly purls the curls out,
a cooling passtime, only
noticed in attentiveness;
I feel clear now and strong.

De dagen houden niet over

De dagen houden niet over
van zichzelf, ze zijn te heet
en er wordt niets in mijn twee handen
omgesmeed; pas onder de sterren

in de smidse van de nacht, die
in een vonkenregen is verstard
flonkert de maan, Hefaistos\' laatste
werk, in de scherven op de muur

als vuurvliegen en vleermuizen
fladderen af en aan, bedienden,
de donkere vloer van het zwerk
vegen zij aan en het stroompje

kabbelt er kalm de krullen uit,
een koele bedrijvigheid, pas
in aandachtigheid opgemerkt;
ik voel mij helder nu en sterk.
Close

The days are no better

The days are no better
than expected, they are too hot
and between my two hands nothing
is being forged; only under the stars

in the smithy of the night, that
has stiffened into a rain of sparks
the moon, Hephaestos\' last
work, glints in the fragments on the wall

like fireflies and bats
fluttering to and fro, servants,
sweeping the dark floor of the
firmament and the little stream

calmly purls the curls out,
a cooling passtime, only
noticed in attentiveness;
I feel clear now and strong.

The days are no better

The days are no better
than expected, they are too hot
and between my two hands nothing
is being forged; only under the stars

in the smithy of the night, that
has stiffened into a rain of sparks
the moon, Hephaestos\' last
work, glints in the fragments on the wall

like fireflies and bats
fluttering to and fro, servants,
sweeping the dark floor of the
firmament and the little stream

calmly purls the curls out,
a cooling passtime, only
noticed in attentiveness;
I feel clear now and strong.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère