Poem
Christine D’haen
TO READ AND TO BE
He plunged head first into the dust, bone snapped in half,the arm torn from the body, he fell backwards,
the head hung by the skin, the blood-warm spearhead,
killing his daylight, piercing him below the ear.
His head split clean in two, eyes filled with blood,
he fell flat on the ground, night fell on him. A stone
cut through his temples, eyes crashed at his feet.
The clawing horse cried out, his spirit flew.
The helmet, yet unscratched, swiftly the god
flung from his head, horsehair and feathers in the mire,
the spear ran in the groin, the soul the body fled.
Skewering heel and ankle, to the wheel the strap
him ties, spreading dark lustrous hair splattered with mud.
To read is a delight, to live a dreadful lot.
© Translation: 1995, Ko Kooman
From: Festivalcatalogus Poetry International
Publisher: Poetry International, Rotterdam, 1995
From: Festivalcatalogus Poetry International
Publisher: Poetry International, Rotterdam, 1995
The Iliad of Homer, 800 years before, is the story of the war of the Greeks to reconquer Helen, the wife of Menelaus, from Troy and from the hands of prince Paris. The terrible man-to-man combats are described. Finally, the furious Greek prince Achilles kills the beautiful Trojan prince Hector and drags the body along after his vehicle.
In Aphorismen zur Lebensweisheit (1850) Schopenhauer writes: “Alle Dinge sind herrlich zu sehn, aber schrecklich zu seyn.”
Lezen en zijn
Lezen en zijn
Hij stortte in ’t stof voorover, ’t bot brak middendoor,de arm gerukt van ’t lichaam viel hij rugwaarts neer,
het hoofd hing nog aan huid, het bloedwarm blad der speer
zijn daglicht dovend drong diep hem onder het oor.
Zijn hoofd in twee gespleten, ogen vol met bloed,
viel hij languit ter aarde, nacht op hem. Een steen
spleet hem de slapen, de ogen botsten voor zijn voet.
Het paard hoefklauwend schreeuwde ’t uit, zijn geest vlood heen.
De helm, nog nooit gehavend, smeet eensklaps de god
van ’t hoofd hem, paardehaar en veren in het slijk,
de speer stak in de lies, de ziel ontvluchtte ’t lijk.
Van hiel tot enkel borend, bond de riem aan ’t rad
zijn voet, spreidde mooi donker haar modderbespat.
Lezen is heerlijk, leven zelf een vreselijk lot.
© 2002, Erven Christine D\'haen
From: Miroirs. Gedichten vanaf 1946
Publisher: Querido, Amsterdam
From: Miroirs. Gedichten vanaf 1946
Publisher: Querido, Amsterdam
De Ilias van Homeros, 800 jaar vóór, is het verhaal van de strijd van de Grieken om Helena, de vrouw van Menelaos, uit Troje en uit de handen van prins Paris terug te veroveren. De vreselijke man-tegen-man-gevechten worden beschreven. Ten slotte doodt de woedende Griekse prins Achilles de mooie Trojaanse prins Hector, en sleept het lijk achter zijn wagen (Twaalfde zang).
In Aphorismen zur Lebensweisheit (1850) zegt Schopenhauer: “Alle Dinge sind herrlich zu sehn, aber schrecklich zu seyn.”
Poems
Poems of Christine D’haen
Close
TO READ AND TO BE
He plunged head first into the dust, bone snapped in half,the arm torn from the body, he fell backwards,
the head hung by the skin, the blood-warm spearhead,
killing his daylight, piercing him below the ear.
His head split clean in two, eyes filled with blood,
he fell flat on the ground, night fell on him. A stone
cut through his temples, eyes crashed at his feet.
The clawing horse cried out, his spirit flew.
The helmet, yet unscratched, swiftly the god
flung from his head, horsehair and feathers in the mire,
the spear ran in the groin, the soul the body fled.
Skewering heel and ankle, to the wheel the strap
him ties, spreading dark lustrous hair splattered with mud.
To read is a delight, to live a dreadful lot.
© 1995, Ko Kooman
From: Festivalcatalogus Poetry International
Publisher: 1995, Poetry International, Rotterdam
From: Festivalcatalogus Poetry International
Publisher: 1995, Poetry International, Rotterdam
The Iliad of Homer, 800 years before, is the story of the war of the Greeks to reconquer Helen, the wife of Menelaus, from Troy and from the hands of prince Paris. The terrible man-to-man combats are described. Finally, the furious Greek prince Achilles kills the beautiful Trojan prince Hector and drags the body along after his vehicle.
In Aphorismen zur Lebensweisheit (1850) Schopenhauer writes: “Alle Dinge sind herrlich zu sehn, aber schrecklich zu seyn.”
TO READ AND TO BE
He plunged head first into the dust, bone snapped in half,the arm torn from the body, he fell backwards,
the head hung by the skin, the blood-warm spearhead,
killing his daylight, piercing him below the ear.
His head split clean in two, eyes filled with blood,
he fell flat on the ground, night fell on him. A stone
cut through his temples, eyes crashed at his feet.
The clawing horse cried out, his spirit flew.
The helmet, yet unscratched, swiftly the god
flung from his head, horsehair and feathers in the mire,
the spear ran in the groin, the soul the body fled.
Skewering heel and ankle, to the wheel the strap
him ties, spreading dark lustrous hair splattered with mud.
To read is a delight, to live a dreadful lot.
© 1995, Ko Kooman
From: Festivalcatalogus Poetry International
Publisher: 1995, Poetry International, Rotterdam
From: Festivalcatalogus Poetry International
Publisher: 1995, Poetry International, Rotterdam
The Iliad of Homer, 800 years before, is the story of the war of the Greeks to reconquer Helen, the wife of Menelaus, from Troy and from the hands of prince Paris. The terrible man-to-man combats are described. Finally, the furious Greek prince Achilles kills the beautiful Trojan prince Hector and drags the body along after his vehicle.
In Aphorismen zur Lebensweisheit (1850) Schopenhauer writes: “Alle Dinge sind herrlich zu sehn, aber schrecklich zu seyn.”
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