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Mandel, Eli: Houdini (Houdini in Hungarian)

Portre of Mandel, Eli

Houdini (English)

I suspect he knew that trunks are metaphors,
could distinguish between the finest rhythms
unrolled on rope or singing in a chain
and knew the metrics of the deepest pools

I think of him listening to the words
spoken by manacles, cells, handcuffs,
chests, hampers, roll-top desks, vaults,
especially the deep words spoken by coffins

escape, escape: quaint Harry in his suit
his chains, his desk, attached to all attachments
how he'd sweat in that precise struggle
with those binding words, wrapped around him
like that mannered style, his formal suit

and spoken when? by whom? What thing first said
"there's no way out?"; so that he'd free himself,
leap, squirm, no matter how, to chain himself again,
once more jump out of the deep alive
with all his chains singing around his feet
like the bound crowds who sigh, who sigh.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://books.google.hu/books

Houdini (Hungarian)

Úgy hiszem, tudta, a láda csak metafora,
nem tévedt el finom ritmusok közt
kötélen kötetlenül, láncban énekelve,
és ismerte a legmélyebb tavak metrumát

látom őt, amint szavakra figyel,
bilincsek, láncok és kamrák,
ládák, kosarak, asztalok, széfek
s legfőképp koporsók mély szavára

szabadulj, szabadulj: öltönyös furcsa Harry,
fiókban, láncban, lekötve bármi köthetőhöz,
precíz harcban izzadva láncos
szavakkal, mik úgy veszik körül,
mint pedáns öltönye, e furcsa sikk

melyek először súgták - mikor? s ki által? -
„nincs kiút", hogy vergődve, szökve, bármi áron
szabad legyen, majd újra lekötve,
újra élve törjön fel a mélyből,
s a daloló lánc a lábánál heverjen,
mint a megkötött tömeg, ki sóhajt, sóhajt.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationB. F.

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