“When I was led across the garden...”
When I was led across the garden
through chains of rooms - some to the right or to the left -
into a square-shaped chamber,
where under lilac light that glowed right through
the curtains
did rest
in precious clothes
with bracelets and with rings
a woman, as fine as Gattor,
with underlined eyes and pitch-black
braids -
I stopped.
And she told me:
"Well?"
But I stayed silently
and she stared at me smiling
and threw to me a flower from her hair,
a yellow one.
I picked it up and raised it to my lips,
as she, while gazing sideways, spoke:
"Why did you come,
boy,
to kiss a flower, that's been tossed
o the floor?"
- Yes, my queen, - uttered I -
and the entire chamber resounded
with the ringing laughter of the woman
and her servants;
as one, they'd toss around their arms,
as one they would laugh,
as if sisters at the festival of Isis,
at once hit by the priests.
“As before, the air is spirited, simple...”
As before, the air is spirited, simple,
As before, a bridge is hung up in the air,
So, when will it end then, this odious lent?
When would we go home, like we did before?
When would we calm down, my darling, my dear?
In this pitiful winter, how tight we were squeezed!
The blood, so submissive, how it whimpered, cooled down?
With what great surprise, the brow did once frown!
And remained warm enough only this love, our own.
Only the dreams now remain of what passed,
The only things left is you, you and God,
Besides a small crescent within some yellow height.
The crescent turns books into squares, and the floor,
Oh, how you will smile as you lean on the desk...
Oh, but I've found here the sweetest of deserts!
“By night-time, sky has grown bouquets...”
By night-time, sky has grown bouquets,
And the window froze...
I do not need the springtime wind,
I am fine as is.
Could be everything's destroyed,
Nothing will exist...
But listen to the crackling wick,
It's not dark here yet...
Not for good the soul's entombed -
Is a winter - death?
How the passioned Thursday would
Pummel blinds with reds!
“Washed ourselves and dressed ourselves...”
Washed ourselves and dressed ourselves,
First thing in the morning,
we made out,
Past the night full of caresses,
full of love,
And from the lilac china set,
As if with a brother,
With a guest,
We drank our tea still wearing masks.
And all-the-while, our masks did fashion smiles,
Oh, but our gazes never met
And our mouths have become dumb.
Then we sang and played from "Faust",
As if never knew the night,
They, were nightly,
This - is us.