Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Vera Pavlova

Whose face and body would I like to have?

Whose face and body would I like to have?
The face and body of Nike.
I would fly past all those Venuses,
would have nothing to do with Apollos.
With the wind chill on my shoulder
I would leave behind forever
the hall of plaster copies!

In welk gezicht en lichaam had ik me thuis gevoeld?

In welk gezicht en lichaam had ik me thuis gevoeld?
In het gezicht en het lichaam van Nike van Samothrake.
Hoe triomfantelijk vloog ik dan aan Aphrodite voorbij,
Hoe weinig tot niks had ik met hordes Apollo’s te maken,
Hoe heerlijk voelde mijn schouder, door tegenwind gekoeld,
Hoe onherroepelijk liet ik dan achter mij
het lokaal vol afgietsels!

Какие лицо и тело иметь бы хотела?
Ники Самофракийской лицо и тело.
Как бы я мимо всяких венер летела,
как бы мне до аполлонов не было дела,
как бы моё плечо на ветру холодело,
как безвозвратно бы я покидала пределы
зала слепков!..
Close

Whose face and body would I like to have?

Whose face and body would I like to have?
The face and body of Nike.
I would fly past all those Venuses,
would have nothing to do with Apollos.
With the wind chill on my shoulder
I would leave behind forever
the hall of plaster copies!

Whose face and body would I like to have?

Whose face and body would I like to have?
The face and body of Nike.
I would fly past all those Venuses,
would have nothing to do with Apollos.
With the wind chill on my shoulder
I would leave behind forever
the hall of plaster copies!
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