Poem
Hugues C. Pernath
The Ten Poems of Solitude VII
I no longer belong but control the tremblingAblaze and senile, sleepless in the past
In the things that have happened, the things
Of the days, I conjugate the pledges of pain
And light-shy, purged, I believe in the speaking
In the silence that lasts after death.
This was the same breaking that brought us together,
The same suppression, the same gesture.
This was the scorching, the washing of the wound.
In my memory eyes share my secrets
And tears the ruins that stickily smoulder.
My power gave in to powers, my longing
While I patiently bled and bandaged.
Loving became preservation, the moving of words
That secretly broke us and reduced us
To shadows. And far from me people dispersed.
The vague outlines of the many friends fade
And each gesture became irretrievable
The echo of the dreaming and forgoing.
Resigned to the gift I crawled, fell and wept.
My oppression subsided, the days go on fruiting
And I presupposed fear, the very last time
That I undergo, that I survive. Nowhere
Was a stone to be seen, the features of no other.
So I stay alive, but all life’s been exploited.
© Translation: 2007, Paul Vincent
Tien gedichten van de eenzaamheid VII
Tien gedichten van de eenzaamheid VII
Ik behoor niet meer maar beheers het bevenBrandend en kinds, slapeloos in vroeger
In de dingen die hebben plaatsgevonden, de dingen
Der dagen. Ik vervoeg de panden van de pijn
En lichtschuw, gelouterd, geloof ik in het spreken
In het zwijgen dat voortduurt na de dood.
Dit was hetzelfde breken dat ons samenbracht,
Hetzelfde verdringen, hetzelfde gebaar.
Dit was het schroeien, het wassen van de wonde.
In mijn geheugen verdelen ogen mijn geheimen
En tranen de ruïnes die kleverig smeulen.
Aan machten bezweek mijn macht, mijn verlangen
Terwijl ik geduldig verbloedde en verbond.
Liefhebben werd het bewaren, het bewegen van woorden
Die ons heimelijk braken, die ons herleidden
Tot schimmen. En ver van mij gingen mensen uiteen.
De vage omtrekken van de vele vrienden vergaan
En nooit te achterhalen werd elk gebaar
De weerkaatsing van het dromen en het derven.
Berustend in de gave kroop ik, viel ik en huilde,
Mijn beklemming vergleed, de dagen doordragen
En ik veronderstelde de angst, de allerlaatste leer
Die ik onderga, waaruit ik overleef. Nergens
Was een steen te zien, de gelaatstrekken van geen ander.
Zo blijf ik in leven, maar alle leven is ontgonnen.
© 2004, The Hugues C. Pernath Foundation
From: Gedichten
Publisher: Lannoo/Atlas, Tilet/Amsterdam
From: Gedichten
Publisher: Lannoo/Atlas, Tilet/Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Hugues C. Pernath
Close
The Ten Poems of Solitude VII
I no longer belong but control the tremblingAblaze and senile, sleepless in the past
In the things that have happened, the things
Of the days, I conjugate the pledges of pain
And light-shy, purged, I believe in the speaking
In the silence that lasts after death.
This was the same breaking that brought us together,
The same suppression, the same gesture.
This was the scorching, the washing of the wound.
In my memory eyes share my secrets
And tears the ruins that stickily smoulder.
My power gave in to powers, my longing
While I patiently bled and bandaged.
Loving became preservation, the moving of words
That secretly broke us and reduced us
To shadows. And far from me people dispersed.
The vague outlines of the many friends fade
And each gesture became irretrievable
The echo of the dreaming and forgoing.
Resigned to the gift I crawled, fell and wept.
My oppression subsided, the days go on fruiting
And I presupposed fear, the very last time
That I undergo, that I survive. Nowhere
Was a stone to be seen, the features of no other.
So I stay alive, but all life’s been exploited.
© 2007, Paul Vincent
From: Gedichten
From: Gedichten
The Ten Poems of Solitude VII
I no longer belong but control the tremblingAblaze and senile, sleepless in the past
In the things that have happened, the things
Of the days, I conjugate the pledges of pain
And light-shy, purged, I believe in the speaking
In the silence that lasts after death.
This was the same breaking that brought us together,
The same suppression, the same gesture.
This was the scorching, the washing of the wound.
In my memory eyes share my secrets
And tears the ruins that stickily smoulder.
My power gave in to powers, my longing
While I patiently bled and bandaged.
Loving became preservation, the moving of words
That secretly broke us and reduced us
To shadows. And far from me people dispersed.
The vague outlines of the many friends fade
And each gesture became irretrievable
The echo of the dreaming and forgoing.
Resigned to the gift I crawled, fell and wept.
My oppression subsided, the days go on fruiting
And I presupposed fear, the very last time
That I undergo, that I survive. Nowhere
Was a stone to be seen, the features of no other.
So I stay alive, but all life’s been exploited.
© 2007, Paul Vincent
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