Gerhard Falkner
Immemorial poem (Altes Gedicht)
in a few days the cherry-trees
will come into blossom
in the loosened air’s free rhythm
a couple of larks will be fluttering
the women’s oppressive coats will disappear
from the streets
and the window-crosses will gleam in the sun
just like white gloves
the afternoons will get brittler as
the heat increases
and thoughts will leap like flat pebbles
across people’s taut expectations
ready-legged young men will wade their way
through the falling night
and the voices from someplace will
gell into fruit
to thrust their sweetness into that flesh
will come into blossom
in the loosened air’s free rhythm
a couple of larks will be fluttering
the women’s oppressive coats will disappear
from the streets
and the window-crosses will gleam in the sun
just like white gloves
the afternoons will get brittler as
the heat increases
and thoughts will leap like flat pebbles
across people’s taut expectations
ready-legged young men will wade their way
through the falling night
and the voices from someplace will
gell into fruit
to thrust their sweetness into that flesh
Translated by Richard Dove
Page(s) 83
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