Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Kim Hyesoon

GRIEF

God raised cows on a ranch in the sea
The cows fattened leisurely eating grass
There were no herders, no fences
We couldn’t see even with our eyes open
but every cow’s head was branded with God’s seal
God played a flute when night came
All the blue cows were gathered
God scoffed at all the cows

I stole one of the cows and
gave it to a Mongolian who
with one hand kept the lamb’s mouth shut
and with another made a hole in its heart
He said, this cow belongs to the sea
It has no fur, no flesh. We don’t eat anything from the sea
The cow belongs to him – his body made entirely of tears
The lamb he caught was skinned
without a single drop of blood or a scream

This time I had no choice but
to eat the blue cow by myself
My body became covered in blue mold
I couldn’t feel the cold and roamed the streets in sub-zero weather
Except for the salt crystals falling from one of my eyes
The sea grabbed my ears everywhere I went
and rippled all day
I couldn’t sleep at all

VERDRIET


God teelde koeien op een boerderij in zee
de zeekoeien graasden kalm en groeiden goed
zonder herdersknapen of omheiningen
en al konden wij dat met open ogen niet zien
ieder hoofd droeg het zegel van God
werd het nacht, dan blies God op zijn fluit
en alle blauwe koeien kwamen bijeen
en alleen God schrokte die blauwe koeien helemaal op
 
in het geniep stal ik zo’n koe
ik gaf haar aan een man uit Mongolië
die met de ene hand de bek van een schaap opensperde
en met de andere vlees schepte uit het doorboorde hart
hij zei die koe is een ding van de zee
er zit haar noch vlees aan, toch? wij eten geen dingen uit zee
het behoorde aan hem toe – het hele lijf een traan
zonder een druppel bloed of het minste gegil
werd het schaap dat hij te pakken had gevild
 
nu kon ik niet anders
dan die blauwe koe alleen opeten
groene schimmel spreidde zich over mijn lijf uit
zonder de kou maar te voelen zwierf ik over straten onder nul
behalve de zoutkristallen die telkens uit mijn ogen vielen
greep mij de zee waar ik maar heen ging aan de oren
en hij klotste de hele dag door
de slaap kon ik totaal niet vatten

Close

GRIEF

God raised cows on a ranch in the sea
The cows fattened leisurely eating grass
There were no herders, no fences
We couldn’t see even with our eyes open
but every cow’s head was branded with God’s seal
God played a flute when night came
All the blue cows were gathered
God scoffed at all the cows

I stole one of the cows and
gave it to a Mongolian who
with one hand kept the lamb’s mouth shut
and with another made a hole in its heart
He said, this cow belongs to the sea
It has no fur, no flesh. We don’t eat anything from the sea
The cow belongs to him – his body made entirely of tears
The lamb he caught was skinned
without a single drop of blood or a scream

This time I had no choice but
to eat the blue cow by myself
My body became covered in blue mold
I couldn’t feel the cold and roamed the streets in sub-zero weather
Except for the salt crystals falling from one of my eyes
The sea grabbed my ears everywhere I went
and rippled all day
I couldn’t sleep at all

GRIEF

God raised cows on a ranch in the sea
The cows fattened leisurely eating grass
There were no herders, no fences
We couldn’t see even with our eyes open
but every cow’s head was branded with God’s seal
God played a flute when night came
All the blue cows were gathered
God scoffed at all the cows

I stole one of the cows and
gave it to a Mongolian who
with one hand kept the lamb’s mouth shut
and with another made a hole in its heart
He said, this cow belongs to the sea
It has no fur, no flesh. We don’t eat anything from the sea
The cow belongs to him – his body made entirely of tears
The lamb he caught was skinned
without a single drop of blood or a scream

This time I had no choice but
to eat the blue cow by myself
My body became covered in blue mold
I couldn’t feel the cold and roamed the streets in sub-zero weather
Except for the salt crystals falling from one of my eyes
The sea grabbed my ears everywhere I went
and rippled all day
I couldn’t sleep at all
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère