THREE VERSE TRANSLATION - Number 1 |
Time, nimble flyer, on tireless wings forever
Severing the air, cruising without striking sail
Before the wind, while we straggle in your trail;
Arch-enemy of rest, always on the move, never
Quiet; giant Time, whose insatiable jaws will
Swallow, devour, consume whatever man makes or acquires,
Who'll topple, destroy, level the kingdoms and empires
Of this world - why should you now almost stand still?
Sweet Love, ever since you went I must toil away
The sluggish hours, and my anguished heart keeps pressing
Time to resume its course. But be my longing ever so strong,
It cannot move this stubborn God. Indeed they say
That is how longing got its name, for this distressing
Time I wish were shorter, now seems twice as long.
Note:
#These three different verse renderings were produced by a group of staff and students from the Dutch Department in 1980-81.They were published in the journal Dutch Crossing (number 14, July 1981),
with critical commentaries by the (anonymous) translators on their versions.
Dutch Crossing is in the UCL Library.You may or may not be impressed with these attempts. Can you do better?
Feel free to have a go, but make sure you study the poem first by going to the >working version.
