Poem
Maria van Daalen
A REBÉTIKO FOR FRANS VAN HASSELT
this morning I stood in the empty kitchenand cleared up things before I went away
there was half a bottle of olive oil left and 1 lemon
that is too much lemon
yorgos the cat jumped on the sill
and looked at me with amber-coloured eyes
an odourous fish head is the sweetest
the colours of the sky are the colours of the sea
and the rain vaporises before meeting the street
I didn’t finish the retsina bottle
I didn’t clean the knife from Crete
the bouzouki player sang: where does love go to when it disappears
and I hummed along with the soft melody
perhaps tonight Kim has gone dancing with that young man from the bar
perhaps at full moon although Greeks don’t care about that
there was half a bottle of virgin olive oil left and 1 lemon
that is too much lemon
where does love go to when she disappears
the gate does close the gateway not the look
© Translation: 2008, Renée Delhez
* Rebétiko: Greek folk song
** Frans van Hasselt is a Dutch journalist, born 1927, living in Athens. He is an authority on the rebétiko.
EEN REBÉTIKO VOOR FRANS VAN HASSELT
EEN REBÉTIKO VOOR FRANS VAN HASSELT
vanmorgen stond ik in de lege keukenen ruimde alles op voor ik vertrok
er was nog een halve fles olijfolie en 1 citroen
dat is teveel citroen
yorgos de kat sprong op het kozijn
en keek me aan met amberkleurige ogen
een geurende vissenkop is de liefste
de kleuren van de hemel zijn de kleuren van de zee
en de regen verdampt voor ze de straat raakt
ik dronk niet het retsina-flesje leeg
ik waste niet het mes uit Kreta af
de bouzoukispeler zong: waar gaat de liefde naartoe als die verdwijnt
en ik neuriede het melodietje mee
misschien is Kim vannacht gaan dansen met die jongen uit de bar
misschien bij volle maan al geeft geen Griek daarom
er was nog een halve fles virgin olijfolie en 1 citroen
dat is teveel citroen
waar gaat de liefde naartoe als ze verdwijnt
het hek sluit wel de poort maar niet de blik
© 2008, Maria van Daalen
* Rebétiko: Grieks volksliedje
** Frans van Hasselt is een Nederlands journalist, geb. 1927, woont in Athene. Kenner van de rebétiko.
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Poems
Poems of Maria van Daalen
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A REBÉTIKO FOR FRANS VAN HASSELT
this morning I stood in the empty kitchenand cleared up things before I went away
there was half a bottle of olive oil left and 1 lemon
that is too much lemon
yorgos the cat jumped on the sill
and looked at me with amber-coloured eyes
an odourous fish head is the sweetest
the colours of the sky are the colours of the sea
and the rain vaporises before meeting the street
I didn’t finish the retsina bottle
I didn’t clean the knife from Crete
the bouzouki player sang: where does love go to when it disappears
and I hummed along with the soft melody
perhaps tonight Kim has gone dancing with that young man from the bar
perhaps at full moon although Greeks don’t care about that
there was half a bottle of virgin olive oil left and 1 lemon
that is too much lemon
where does love go to when she disappears
the gate does close the gateway not the look
© 2008, Renée Delhez
* Rebétiko: Greek folk song
** Frans van Hasselt is a Dutch journalist, born 1927, living in Athens. He is an authority on the rebétiko.
A REBÉTIKO FOR FRANS VAN HASSELT
this morning I stood in the empty kitchenand cleared up things before I went away
there was half a bottle of olive oil left and 1 lemon
that is too much lemon
yorgos the cat jumped on the sill
and looked at me with amber-coloured eyes
an odourous fish head is the sweetest
the colours of the sky are the colours of the sea
and the rain vaporises before meeting the street
I didn’t finish the retsina bottle
I didn’t clean the knife from Crete
the bouzouki player sang: where does love go to when it disappears
and I hummed along with the soft melody
perhaps tonight Kim has gone dancing with that young man from the bar
perhaps at full moon although Greeks don’t care about that
there was half a bottle of virgin olive oil left and 1 lemon
that is too much lemon
where does love go to when she disappears
the gate does close the gateway not the look
© 2008, Renée Delhez
* Rebétiko: Greek folk song
** Frans van Hasselt is a Dutch journalist, born 1927, living in Athens. He is an authority on the rebétiko.
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