Friday, September 10, 2021

Two Drops by Zbigniew Herbert

Two Drops

 
          No time to grieve for roses when the forests are burning.
          -- Juliusz Slowacki
 
The forests were on fire—
they however
wreathed their necks with their hands
like bouquets of roses
 
People ran to the shelters—
he said his wife had hair
in whose depths one could hide
 
Covered by one blanket
they whispered shameless words
the litany of those who love
 
When it got very bad
they leapt into each other’s eyes
and shut them firmly
 
So firmly they did not feel the flames
when they came up to the eyelashes
 
To the end they were brave
To the end they were faithful
To the end they were similar
like two drops
stuck at the edge of a face
 
(translated by Peter Dale Scott) 





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