A Big Piece of Nothing
or
some thoughts, some quotations.
Grzech niecierpienia i grzech niepłakania bindisperia sopeli, upro da upro binddeba
Mrozi mnie jak chłód, co warzy jabłonie jesienią
Jak chroniczna choroba trawi mnie myśl bezustannie
Że nic dotąd nie dałem śmierci i nic zmartwychwstaniu
The sin of
not-crying and of not-suffering
Chills me like frost that kills appletrees in autumn
Like a chronic disease haunts me a thought
unceasingly
That I haven't given to death a thing, nor to resurrection
ra aris chveni sic'oc'khle chit'ivit
chamovideba
The village took the color of dusk, darker and darker it gets
All what is our life, flies away with the birds
When you think of a dog, get a stick in your hand
- a caucasian proverb
I was angry with my friend
I told my wrath, my wrath did end
I was angry with my foe
I told it not; my wrath did grow
And I water'd it in fears
Night and morning with my tears
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft, deceitful
wiles
And it grew both day and night
'Til it bore an apple bright
And my foe beheld it shine
And he knew that it was mine
And into the garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree
Caveat ! My wording is probably unexact since I quote from memory and memory is a frail thing indeed. Remember, watch your head and keep it safe.
We are the Siamese, if you please
We are the Siamese, if you don't please
- sung in a lazy voice
by a choir of fat Siamese cats and repeated ad nauseam.
It's only the thought of a suicide that has kept me living
A commentary to the issue, for two voices:
*I don't believe there's any significant difference between life and death
Really ? Then why won't you just kill yourself, huh ?
*Can't you think ? If nothing changes, why should I bother ?
pues el delito mayor
del hombre es haber nacido
So the man's greatest
felony
is having been born
Khayyām, agar z-e bāde masti - khosh bāsh
gar bā sanami dami neshasti - khosh bāsh
pāyān-e hame omr-e jahaan nisti ast
pendār ke nisti, cho hasti - khosh bāsh
Khayyam, if to your head goes wine, happy be
if close to your beloved you sit, happy be
for at the end of all the things stands nothing
think you're not here, and 'cause you are, happy be
все цветы для тебя в этом мире
цветут
но не верь ничему - все обманчиво тут
поколения смертных придут - и уйдут
рви цветы - и тебя в свое время сорвут
Every flower here blossoms just for you
But trust not a thing, it is all deceitful
Mortal generations having come, will leave
Pluck the flowers now, they'll soon pluck you
Oh rose, thou art sick
the invisible worm
that flies in the night
in the howling storm
has found out thy bed
of crimson joy
and his dark secret love
does thy life destroy
He who fights monsters must be wary,
lest he becomes a fiend himself
For if you look down into
the Abyss,
it gazes back at you.
Herr, gieb uns blöde Augen
für Dinge, die nichts taugen
und Augen voller Klarheit
in alle deine Wahrheit.
O Lord, on our eyes veil cast
for things and matters that won't last
and give us eyes of the say-sooth
which will see nothing but your truth
ānche napāyad delbastegi nashāyad
What forever not serves, heart-attachment not deserves
Little fly, your joyful play,
my skilful hand will sweep away,
little fly, you and I,
I will live, and you will die.
Or this one:
Lady bug, lady bug.
Little lady who's a bug.
If I pull your wings off, lady bug,
how will you fly home ?
Oh, no, you just won't
my little, little bug lady.
Your house is on fire
and your children will burn !
Essayer de comprendre, c'est commencer a désobéir
Trying to understand is
the beginning of disobedience
Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas.
The heart has its reasons, which the reason doesn't know
Sam się nie pochwalisz - chodzisz jak opluty.
If you don't praise yourself, you walk as if bespit.39
az āmadanam nabud gardun rā sud
vaz raftan-e man jalāl-o
jāhash
nafozud
vaz hich kasi niz do gusham nashenud
kin āmadan-o raftanam az
bahr-e che bud
from my coming the world didn't
become glad
and my leaving to its glory not a thing did add
and from
no one, too, my two ears did hear
'bout my life and death - what meaning it
had
I sing what was lost and dread what was won,
I walk in a battle fought over again,
My king a lost king, and lost soldiers my men;
Feet to the Rising or Setting may run,
They always beat on the same small stone.
Man, being reasonable, must get drunk
The best of life is but intoxication
The above - o surpise of surprises ! - despite the suspicion its content may rise, is not a work by Polish poet but a Lord Byron's one.
har koja raftam, baasham, aasemaan maal-e man ast
wherever I am, or would I be
only the sky belongs to me.
Kto chce zostać świętym, musi być okrutny wobec siebie.
He who wants to become a
Saint must be cruel to himself.
Shalom aleykum !
It's Piotr Krawczyk's and mine contribution to the peace process in the Palestine. 31
dar nāomidi basi omid ast
pāyān-e shab-e tire sepid ast
During the darkest hours hope gives a lot of light
Even the darkest nights end in a morning bright.
Ludność Lehistanu dzieli się na trzy grupy.
Rusini uprawiają rolę, Żydzi zajmują się handlem, a Polacy
kłócą się,
piją i oferują swoje usługi ambasadorom ościennych mocarstw.
The population of Lehistan (ie. Poland) is divided into three groups.
The Rusins cultivate the land, the Jews carry on trade and the Poles
quarrel, drink and offer their services to foreign ambassadors.
I am an islamic revolutionary, baby
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I owe this page, as I owe everything, to K.D. , whose smile makes the impossible happen