Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Guido Gezelle

SWIFTS

“See, see, see,
see! see! see!
see!! see!! see!!
                   see!!!”
hear hear these
weeping swifts
twice or thrice 
                   three,
sweeping and 
weeping there:
“Do we see . . .
                   see
anyone
we can’t flee?
We, we? we?? 
                   we???”

Peeping and
cheeping, lithe
and disci- 
                   plined;
wheeling and 
reeling as
quick as the 
                   wind;
lifting and
drifting 
so swift on the 
                   wing,
going and
rowing round
spires they 
                   swing.

Down they are
gliding, soon
widening their 
                   flight;
skyward are
waving their
wings in the 
                   height:
scarcely I
hear these . . . I
no longer 
                   see,
singing still
vividly:
“We??? we?? We? 
                   We . . .”

GIERZWALUWEN

GIERZWALUWEN

“Zie, zie, zie,
zie! zie! zie!
zie!! zie!! zie!!
              zie!!!”
tieren de
zwaluwen,
twee- driemaal 
              drie,
zwierende en
gierende:
“Niemand, die . . .
              die
bieden den
stiet ons zal!
Wie? wie? wie?? 
              wie???”

Piepende en
kriepende,
zwak en ge- 
              zwind;
haaiende en
draaiende,
rap als de 
              wind;
wiegende en
vliegende,
vlug op de 
              vlerk,
spoeien en
roeien ze
ringsom de 
              kerk.

Leege nu
zweven ze, en
geven ze 
              bucht;
hooge nu
hemelt hun\'
vlerke, in de 
              lucht:
amper nog
hoore ik . . . en,
die \'k niet en 
              zie,
lijvelijk
zingen ze:
“Wie??? wie?? wie? 
              wie . . .”
Close

SWIFTS

“See, see, see,
see! see! see!
see!! see!! see!!
                   see!!!”
hear hear these
weeping swifts
twice or thrice 
                   three,
sweeping and 
weeping there:
“Do we see . . .
                   see
anyone
we can’t flee?
We, we? we?? 
                   we???”

Peeping and
cheeping, lithe
and disci- 
                   plined;
wheeling and 
reeling as
quick as the 
                   wind;
lifting and
drifting 
so swift on the 
                   wing,
going and
rowing round
spires they 
                   swing.

Down they are
gliding, soon
widening their 
                   flight;
skyward are
waving their
wings in the 
                   height:
scarcely I
hear these . . . I
no longer 
                   see,
singing still
vividly:
“We??? we?? We? 
                   We . . .”

SWIFTS

“See, see, see,
see! see! see!
see!! see!! see!!
                   see!!!”
hear hear these
weeping swifts
twice or thrice 
                   three,
sweeping and 
weeping there:
“Do we see . . .
                   see
anyone
we can’t flee?
We, we? we?? 
                   we???”

Peeping and
cheeping, lithe
and disci- 
                   plined;
wheeling and 
reeling as
quick as the 
                   wind;
lifting and
drifting 
so swift on the 
                   wing,
going and
rowing round
spires they 
                   swing.

Down they are
gliding, soon
widening their 
                   flight;
skyward are
waving their
wings in the 
                   height:
scarcely I
hear these . . . I
no longer 
                   see,
singing still
vividly:
“We??? we?? We? 
                   We . . .”
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