On an old grand piano
On an old grand piano
the music was scattered.
But fingers crept out
for a little hunting:
with caresses, with blows,
with rain and with colour,
enfolding in heat
or in sorrowful coldness;
they danced and they laughed,
were braided and bent,
whispered and cursed,
loved and didn’t care,
joked and endeavoured,
beseeched and surrendered,
for a while put on airs,
awkwardly smiled
and pretended to be God . . .
And then they flew up,
fluttered off somewhere
(to sounds leaving shadows
that resembled streams) –
to look for new hunting,
for some new tasty morsel . . .
and God tidied the music
and seemed to start weeping.
the music was scattered.
But fingers crept out
for a little hunting:
with caresses, with blows,
with rain and with colour,
enfolding in heat
or in sorrowful coldness;
they danced and they laughed,
were braided and bent,
whispered and cursed,
loved and didn’t care,
joked and endeavoured,
beseeched and surrendered,
for a while put on airs,
awkwardly smiled
and pretended to be God . . .
And then they flew up,
fluttered off somewhere
(to sounds leaving shadows
that resembled streams) –
to look for new hunting,
for some new tasty morsel . . .
and God tidied the music
and seemed to start weeping.
Translated by Peter France
Page(s) 233
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