Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Toon Tellegen

A MAN WANTED TO TALK ABOUT LOVE

A man wanted to talk about love.
“No . . . ! Not about love . . . !” everyone cried
and everyone departed or knocked him down,
and death peered through a window:
“About love . . . ? Ridiculous . . . !”

That man put on a pair of wings
like those of a thrush,
but larger and more despairing,
and away he flew and sang about love
and love sang about him, murmured about him –

never did a man go to bed more sorrowful
on the indifferent earth.

Een man wilde over liefde spreken.

Een man wilde over liefde spreken.
“Nee . . . !  Niet over liefde . . . !” riep iedereen
en iedereen ging weg of sloeg hem neer,
en de dood keek door een raam:
“Over liefde . . . ? Belachelijk . . . !”

Die man trok vleugels aan,
gelijk die van een lijster,
maar groter en radelozer,
en weg vloog hij en zong over de liefde
en de liefde zong over hem, ruiste over hem –

nooit zo verdrietig ging slapen een man
op de achteloze aarde.
Close

A MAN WANTED TO TALK ABOUT LOVE

A man wanted to talk about love.
“No . . . ! Not about love . . . !” everyone cried
and everyone departed or knocked him down,
and death peered through a window:
“About love . . . ? Ridiculous . . . !”

That man put on a pair of wings
like those of a thrush,
but larger and more despairing,
and away he flew and sang about love
and love sang about him, murmured about him –

never did a man go to bed more sorrowful
on the indifferent earth.

A MAN WANTED TO TALK ABOUT LOVE

A man wanted to talk about love.
“No . . . ! Not about love . . . !” everyone cried
and everyone departed or knocked him down,
and death peered through a window:
“About love . . . ? Ridiculous . . . !”

That man put on a pair of wings
like those of a thrush,
but larger and more despairing,
and away he flew and sang about love
and love sang about him, murmured about him –

never did a man go to bed more sorrowful
on the indifferent earth.
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