Time for Rest




Endre Ady (1877-1919)　

 1.

I'd Like to Hold

I'm no-one's friend or quaint acquaintance
and no-one's cousin, son or maker,
and no-one's, no-one's, no –
and no-one's, no-one's... No.

I am, like everyone, a noble
and snowcapped peak beyond approaching,
a glow of distant ice,
a glow of distant ice –

but cannot go on isolated.
I want to show my untouched whiteness
and to be known and felt,
and to be known and felt.

Hence all self-torment, song and weltering:
I'd like to bask in one's affection,
I should like to belong,
I should like to belong.

2.

Beckoning

Time for rest. Oh my bed,
oh my bed, recently,
recently you were a
different world: dream castle,
dream castle, well of strength,
well of strength, cave of love,
cave of love, peak of joy,
peak of joy. What have you
turned into? My coffin,
my coffin. Every night,
every night you hold me
still tighter. Thus I rest,
thus I rest held in fear,
held in fear now I rise,
now I rise held in fear,
held in fear do I rise.

Now I rise, look about,
look about, feel my world,
feel my world, meditate,
meditate, comprehend,
comprehend, take cover,
take cover, peer out and,
peer out and rise up and
rise up with iron will,
iron will, saddened soul,
saddened soul, dogged mind,
dogged mind, sagging will,
sagging will, shameful self,
shameful self. Oh my bed,
oh my bed, my coffin,
my coffin beckoning,
beckoning. Time for rest.


Endre Ady
Translated from the Hungarian and edited by Thomas Land

　
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