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Alver, Betti: The Star-Bright Hour (Tähetund in English)

Portre of Alver, Betti
Portre of anonim

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Tähetund (Estonian)

Mis küsib elulahkmel heitlik maru!
Kuid sina enesele annad endast aru.

Ja olgu öö kuitahes pikalt pime –
sa otsaeest ei pühi oma nime.

Puulehtki vaatab valgust, vajub vette
koos teistega. Ja siiski omaette.

Sul puudub sirav siht? – Eks mine
ja taipa, mis on aina tarbimine.

Kas tead, mis heldemaks teeb tasapisi?
Miks julm ei olda iial juhtumisi?
Miks lillekiivrid roostega ei kattu?
Miks elu tähetund on kordumatu?
Miks tulukene tuisuööde kestel
ei kustunud, ei kustu inimestel?

Eks küsi endast parematelt.
Eks küsi surnutelt. Ja elavatelt.

Kuid ära iial küsi kaduvikult
sa enam neid, kes läksid juhuslikult
kottpimedasse läbi leeteluha.

Oh usu, nendele on ükstapuha,
kas laevamees kord sõudis laternata
nad kaotsi meelega või kogemata.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttps://kythereia.wordpress.com

The Star-Bright Hour (English)

The wind won’t ask: to what did life amount?
To yourself you’ll render your own account.

However long, however dark the night –
your forehead bears your name in plain sight.

Each leaf that sees the sunlight falls unknown
with all the rest. Yet each one falls alone.

No shining goal, no star to travel toward?
Go and see what is consumerism’s reward.

Do you know how kindness grows, unseen and gentle?
Why cruel deeds are never accidental?
Why helmets rust unless they bloom and flower?
Why life can never repeat its star-bright hour?
Why tiny flames withstood the snowstorm’s test
and flickered on within the human breast?

Go ask your betters, do their bidding.
Go ask the dead. And then go ask the living.

But never ask yesterday
for those who happened to stray
across the sandy marsh into pitch-black night.

It’s all the same to them – was it spite
that made the boatman take his chance
without a light, or was it happenstance?



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://www.estlit.ee

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