Painting by Patrick von Kalckreuth, Germany 1892-1970


Pastime

When we were kids
the old men were about thirty
a puddle was an ocean
death flat and even
didn’t exist

then when we were kids
old men were people in their forties
a pond was an ocean
death only
a word

by the time we got married
the old people were in their fifties
a lake was an ocean
death was the death
of the others

now veterans
we’ve caught up with the truth
the ocean is at last the ocean
but death is beginning
to be ours.

ΧΡΟΝΟΥ ΠΕΡΑΣΜΑ

Σαν είμασταν παιδιά

οι τριαντάρηδες ήταν μεγάλοι

απ’ τη βροχή μιά λιμνούλα ωκεανός

ο θάνατος ίσια γραμμή ανύπαρκτη

σαν παντρευτήκαμε

οι πενηντάρηδες ήταν μεγάλοι

μια λίμνη ο ωκεανός

κι θάνατος για τους άλλους.

Τώρα συνταξιούχοι πια

μας έφτασε η αλήθεια

ο ωκεανός είναι ωκεανός

κι ο θάνατος δικός μας

Μετάφραση Μανώλη Αλυγιζάκη//Translated by Manolis Aligizakis

Mario Benedetti, Uruguay (1920 – 2009)

Escalation

He hesitated before the mailbox — he didn’t mail the letter.

He remembered that he had omitted the most important thing.

Now he had to re-open the envelope (carefully prepared), to edit

the beautiful letter with smudges and additions. But, no; he could

add a postscript (equally calligraphic) however would the postscript

be the most important? Yes, it’s better that way, without any

pretension and emphasis — this is a method too. No one pays

attention to the last words anymore; they’re all in a rush — the

importance lies in their obscureness. Even more so, better

with no postscript — the added omission is more precise, and

more so is silence. He looked around him and placed the letter in

the box. The bronze dog in the park didn’t see him — it was

looking elsewhere, towards the young couple kissing

         at the bench.

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Τρία έψιλον (Ευσταθία Π.), Ποιήματα

Orwell, ο προφήτης τού παρόντος.