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Rúfus, Milan: Landscape of childhood (Krajina detstva in English)

Portre of Rúfus, Milan

Krajina detstva (Slovak)

Krajiny sú. O túto požiadaj
iba vo sne. A nestúp nohou, padneš.

To akoby si, čierny pasažier,
zo svojho času ako z lietadla
chcel vystúpiť a rovno na obláčik.
Prisahajúc, že unesie
to ťažké, ktorým si,
to navždy bez krídel.

A zatiaľ je to oltár. Iba oltár.
A Pána Boha nikto nevidel.

Ale čo na tom záleží,
z akého kameňa je socha.

Tu kameň nie je kameň,
je myšlienka. Tak postoj.

A potom choď a ži.


PublisherDielo I. MilaniuM 2002, s. 188

Landscape of childhood (English)

Landscapes there are. Ask for this one
only in dreams. And do not tread on it, you’ll fall.

just as if you, a stowaway,
from your time as from an aeroplane
wanted to step straight onto a cloud.
Swearing, it will sustain
the weightiness that’s you,
forever without wings.

And yet it is an altar, only an altar.
And no one has seen God.

But does it count for anything,
of what stone the statue is?

Stone here is not stone,
it is thought.

So stand awhile.



Uploaded byRépás Norbert
PublisherMatica slovenská & Literárne informačné centrum
Source of the quotationNiesť bremeno a spievať / To Bear the Burden and Sing

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