Poem
Willem van Toorn
irrgarten
‘If here, o courtier, guest, you wish to escapefrom death, think a little before you begin
of Theseus the Greek: don’t walk recklessly in,
don’t take just any path when you enter this maze.
Arm yourself with good thread, tied
fast beside the entrance, unwind it and find
your way back from the core, love’s island.’
So what was there? Fallen leaves. A lion-
footed bench, black with damp. All trace
of your light girlish laughter long effaced.
The way back. Echoes. At every crossing
you tantalisingly slip away from me:
a foot, fold of your skirt over your knee,
swirl of your hair, irrevocably fled.
They do it with mirrors. How come this web of threads
here? And was this my path? Irrgarten: maze,
crazy garden. Who seeks you here must be mad.
irrgarten
irrgarten
‘Als u hier wilt ontsnappen aan de dood,gast, hoveling, denk dan voor u begint
aan de Griek Theseus, loop niet roekeloos
zo maar een pad in van het labyrint.
Wapen u met goed garen, vastgeknoopt
bij de ingang, wikkel het af en vind
de weg terug uit de kern, liefdes eiland.’
Wat was daar dan? Afgewaaid blad. Een bank
met leeuwepoten, zwart van vocht. Al lang
geen spoor meer van je lichte meisjeslach.
De terugweg. Echo’s. Bij elk nieuw
kruispunt je tergend vluchten voor mij uit:
een voet, plooi van je rok over je knie,
flits van je waaiend haar, reddeloos weg.
Met spiegels doen ze het. Hoe komt dit web
van draden hier. En was dit wel mijn pad?
Irrgarten. Dooltuin. Wie jou zoekt wordt gek.
© 1997, Querido
From: Dooltuin
Publisher: Querido,
From: Dooltuin
Publisher: Querido,
Poems
Poems of Willem van Toorn
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irrgarten
‘If here, o courtier, guest, you wish to escapefrom death, think a little before you begin
of Theseus the Greek: don’t walk recklessly in,
don’t take just any path when you enter this maze.
Arm yourself with good thread, tied
fast beside the entrance, unwind it and find
your way back from the core, love’s island.’
So what was there? Fallen leaves. A lion-
footed bench, black with damp. All trace
of your light girlish laughter long effaced.
The way back. Echoes. At every crossing
you tantalisingly slip away from me:
a foot, fold of your skirt over your knee,
swirl of your hair, irrevocably fled.
They do it with mirrors. How come this web of threads
here? And was this my path? Irrgarten: maze,
crazy garden. Who seeks you here must be mad.
From: Dooltuin
irrgarten
‘If here, o courtier, guest, you wish to escapefrom death, think a little before you begin
of Theseus the Greek: don’t walk recklessly in,
don’t take just any path when you enter this maze.
Arm yourself with good thread, tied
fast beside the entrance, unwind it and find
your way back from the core, love’s island.’
So what was there? Fallen leaves. A lion-
footed bench, black with damp. All trace
of your light girlish laughter long effaced.
The way back. Echoes. At every crossing
you tantalisingly slip away from me:
a foot, fold of your skirt over your knee,
swirl of your hair, irrevocably fled.
They do it with mirrors. How come this web of threads
here? And was this my path? Irrgarten: maze,
crazy garden. Who seeks you here must be mad.
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