Poem
Tomaž Šalamun
To Metka
If I set fire to the white frame of the house, will the flame burnbrighter than the weight falling off our bodies?
Brighter then the samba? Brighter than my watery head?
I’m in the snow. You are dancing. Under the gigantic
green trees with your sad watery eyes.
We’re listening to the rhymes and slippers of your paintbrush.
Of meadows in which you see moss and what’s under
the mixed moss. A white lynx scratching in a dark green throat.
Does the sky ever stop itself up and rattle? Where do you rest?
In an avalanche or on the earth? I gorge myself here, gorge myself,
swelling to keep from being torn apart in the heights
by the clouds, pink, blue, and violet, and the flowers,
like Tiepolo, the air cleansing itself behind him,
before the light floods and crushes us.
© Translation: 2006, Christopher Merrill and Ana Jelnikar
From: The Book for My Brother
Publisher: Harcourt, New York, 2006
From: The Book for My Brother
Publisher: Harcourt, New York, 2006
VOOR METKA
Als ik de witte planken van het huis in brand steek, zal het vuur danhelderder zijn dan het gewicht dat van onze lichamen valt?
Helderder dan een samba? Helderder dan mijn sappige hoofd?
Ik ben in de witte sneeuw. Jij danst. Onder de groene
enorme bomen, met je vochtige, droevige ogen.
We luisteren naar de rijmen en naar de slippers van je penseel.
Naar de weiden van waar je mos ziet en wat onder
het mos zit. Een witte lynx krabt in een donkergroene keel.
Zal de hemel ooit tot stilstand komen en gaan ruisen? Waar rust je?
In een lawine of op aarde? Ik houd hier een feestmaal, een feestmaal,
ik vreet, zodat ik daar boven niet word verscheurd door de roze,
blauwe en violette wolken en de bloemen,
zoals Tiepolo, achter wie de lucht zich reinigt,
voordat het licht ons overspoelt en verkruimelt.
© Vertaling: 2012, Roel Schuyt
Metki
Če požgem belo desko hiše, bo plamen boljsvetal kot teža, ki pada z najinih teles?
Bolj kot samba? Bolj kot moja sočna glava?
V belem snegu sem. Ti plešeš. Pod zelenimi
orjaškimi drevesi s svojimi sočnimi žalostnimi
očmi. Rime poslušava in copatke čopiča. Loke,
ki se iz njih vidi mah in kar je pod mahom
vmes. Bel ris prasketa v temno zelenem grlu.
Se nebo kdaj zabaše in zašumi? Kje počivaš?
V plazu ali na zemlji? Tu se mastim, mastim,
žrem, da me v višini ne strgajo rožnati,
modri in vijoličasti oblaki in rože
kot Tiepola, ki se za njim zrak umije,
preden naju svetloba zalije in zdrobi.
© 1990, Tomaž Šalamun
From: Otrok in Jelen
Publisher: Založba Wieser, Celovec - Klagenfurt
From: Otrok in Jelen
Publisher: Založba Wieser, Celovec - Klagenfurt
Poems
Poems of Tomaž Šalamun
Close
To Metka
If I set fire to the white frame of the house, will the flame burnbrighter than the weight falling off our bodies?
Brighter then the samba? Brighter than my watery head?
I’m in the snow. You are dancing. Under the gigantic
green trees with your sad watery eyes.
We’re listening to the rhymes and slippers of your paintbrush.
Of meadows in which you see moss and what’s under
the mixed moss. A white lynx scratching in a dark green throat.
Does the sky ever stop itself up and rattle? Where do you rest?
In an avalanche or on the earth? I gorge myself here, gorge myself,
swelling to keep from being torn apart in the heights
by the clouds, pink, blue, and violet, and the flowers,
like Tiepolo, the air cleansing itself behind him,
before the light floods and crushes us.
© 2006, Christopher Merrill and Ana Jelnikar
From: The Book for My Brother
Publisher: 2006, Harcourt, New York
From: The Book for My Brother
Publisher: 2006, Harcourt, New York
To Metka
If I set fire to the white frame of the house, will the flame burnbrighter than the weight falling off our bodies?
Brighter then the samba? Brighter than my watery head?
I’m in the snow. You are dancing. Under the gigantic
green trees with your sad watery eyes.
We’re listening to the rhymes and slippers of your paintbrush.
Of meadows in which you see moss and what’s under
the mixed moss. A white lynx scratching in a dark green throat.
Does the sky ever stop itself up and rattle? Where do you rest?
In an avalanche or on the earth? I gorge myself here, gorge myself,
swelling to keep from being torn apart in the heights
by the clouds, pink, blue, and violet, and the flowers,
like Tiepolo, the air cleansing itself behind him,
before the light floods and crushes us.
© 2006, Christopher Merrill and Ana Jelnikar
From: The Book for My Brother
Publisher: 2006, Harcourt, New York
From: The Book for My Brother
Publisher: 2006, Harcourt, New York
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