Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ilya Kaminsky

WE LIVED HAPPILY DURING THE WAR

WE WAREN GELUKKIG TIJDENS DE OORLOG

En toen ze de huizen van andere mensen bombardeerden kwamen we
 
in opstand
maar niet genoeg, we protesteerden maar niet
 
genoeg. Ik lag
in mijn bed, rond mijn bed stortte Amerika
 
in: onzichtbaar huis na onzichtbaar huis na onzichtbaar huis.
 
Ik zette een stoel buiten en keek naar de zon.
 
                                    In de zesde maand
van een rampzalig regime in het huis van geld
 
in de straat van geld in de stad van geld in het land van geld,
ons grootse land van geld, waren we (vergeef ons)
 
gelukkig tijdens de oorlog.

WE LIVED HAPPILY DURING THE WAR

And when they bombed other people’s houses, we
 
protested
but not enough, we opposed them but not
 
enough. I was
in my bed, around my bed America
 
was falling: invisible house by invisible house by invisible house.
 
I took a chair outside and watched the sun.
 
In the sixth month
of a disastrous reign in the house of money
 
in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,
our great country of money, we (forgive us)
 
lived happily during the war.
Close

WE LIVED HAPPILY DURING THE WAR

And when they bombed other people’s houses, we
 
protested
but not enough, we opposed them but not
 
enough. I was
in my bed, around my bed America
 
was falling: invisible house by invisible house by invisible house.
 
I took a chair outside and watched the sun.
 
In the sixth month
of a disastrous reign in the house of money
 
in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,
our great country of money, we (forgive us)
 
lived happily during the war.

WE LIVED HAPPILY DURING THE WAR

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Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
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