I know the truth
– give up all other truths!
I know the truth – give up all other truths!
No need for people anywhere on earth to struggle.
Look – it is evening, look, it is nearly night:
what do you speak of, poets,
lovers, generals?
The wind is level now, the earth is
wet with dew,
the storm of stars in the sky will
turn to quiet.
And soon all of us will sleep under
the earth, we
who will never let each other sleep
above it.
Translated by Eileen
Feinstein
What a life this
poet lived! It makes me tremble to read of it. I came upon this
translation in a
book called Poems on the Underground, the project in London
which provided
refreshment to commuters on the Tube. I have seen other
translations, but I
prefer this one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Tsvetaeva
Bravo! I'm sure it must be even more beautiful in the original.
ReplyDeleteSuch a bleak life this poet led, and yet such rich poetry. Thanks for sharing this one. That second stanza just breaks my heart.
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