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greatpoetry2008-02-28 05:22 pm
the-grynne.livejournal.com) wrote in greatpoetry2008-02-28 05:22 pm
Entry tags:
Ingeborg Bachmann, "Every Day"
EVERY DAY
War is no longer declared:
Just continued. The unheard-of
has become the quotidian.
The hero weasels out.
The weakling is at the front.
The uniform of the day is simply patience,
the highest decoration is the pathos of a star
of hope above the heart.
It is awarded
when nothing happens,
when the drum finale of the artillery falls silent,
when the enemy has become invisible,
when the eternal armament's shadow
darkens the sky.
It is awarded
for deserting the flag.
For courage in the face of a friend.
For betraying the secrets that shame us.
For the absolute disregard
for any and every order.
INGEBORG BACHMANN (1926-1973)
Translated from the German by Eavan Boland
War is no longer declared:
Just continued. The unheard-of
has become the quotidian.
The hero weasels out.
The weakling is at the front.
The uniform of the day is simply patience,
the highest decoration is the pathos of a star
of hope above the heart.
It is awarded
when nothing happens,
when the drum finale of the artillery falls silent,
when the enemy has become invisible,
when the eternal armament's shadow
darkens the sky.
It is awarded
for deserting the flag.
For courage in the face of a friend.
For betraying the secrets that shame us.
For the absolute disregard
for any and every order.
INGEBORG BACHMANN (1926-1973)
Translated from the German by Eavan Boland
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