Tomas Transtromer, 'Allegro'

[duathir.livejournal.com]

Cross-post from war_poetry:

Allegro

After a black day, I play Haydn,
and feel a little warmth in my hands.

The keys are ready. Kind hammers fall.
The sound is spirited, green, and full of silence.

The sound says that freedom exists
and someone pays no tax to Caesar.

I shove my hands in my haydnpockets
and act like a man who is calm about it all.

I raise my haydnflag. The signal is:
"We do not surrender. But want peace."

The music is a house of glass standing on a slope;
rocks are flying, rocks are rolling.

The rocks roll straight through the house
but every pane of glass is still whole.

By Tomas Transtromer
(Translation by Robert Bly)

Best wishes of the Solstice to all.

Comments

[hhimring]

I love this!
Thank you very much for sharing!

[duathir.livejournal.com]

You are most welcome; I am glad you like it.

[hhimring]

And best wishes of the Solstice to you, too!