Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Nuno Júdice

SUNDAY AT HOME

Tomorrow might be Sunday, and
sunless; I might hear the bells and
say that it was just an illusion; I might
go down to the street and not find the man
who sells newspapers; I might go as far as
the square and not see the women
moving in a group towards church, where
mass is about to begin.

Tomorrow might not be Sunday,
and the streets empty as though
there were nothing to do; it might not
be Sunday, and all the stores
closed; it might not
be Sunday and someone asking
what does one do when it is
not Sunday.

Tomorrow might be any day,
and I not knowing what day it is; I might
look at my watch and discover that
its hands have stopped; I might
here someone speaking, and have no idea where
the voice that comes from their mouth comes from,
as though I were all alone.

And then, I might open the door and
see that Sunday wants to come in; and
pull it into my house, so that
the outside was left Sundayless; and
go out into the street on any day
whatsoever, asking passersby
if they saw which way Sunday went.

ZONDAG THUIS

Morgen kon het zondag zijn en kon
de zon niet schijnen; ik kon de klokken horen
en zeggen dat het maar illusie was; ik kon
de straat aflopen en niet de man vinden
die kranten verkoopt; ik kon op het plein
aankomen en niet de vrouwen zien
in groepjes op weg naar de kerk, waar
de mis gaat beginnen.

Morgen kon het ook geen zondag zijn
en konden de straten leeg zijn als was
er niets te doen; het kon geen
zondag zijn en alle winkels konden
sluiten; het kon geen
zondag zijn en iemand kon vragen
wat men doet wanneer het
geen zondag is.

Morgen kon zomaar een dag zijn en kon ik
niet weten welke dag het is; ik kon
op mijn horloge kijken en ontdekken dat
de wijzers stilstaan; ik kon iemand
horen praten en niet weten waarvandaan
die stem komt uit zijn mond, alsof ik
alleen was.

Of anders kon ik de deur opendoen en
zien dat de zondag binnen wil; en
hem het huis in trekken opdat
het buiten geen zondag is; en
de straat op gaan op zomaar een dag
en een voorbijganger vragen of hij
de zondag voorbij heeft zien gaan.

DOMINGO EM CASA

Amanhã podia ser domingo, e
não haver sol; podia ouvir os sinos e
dizer que era apenas uma ilusão; podia
descer a rua e não encontrar o homem
que vende os jornais; podia chegar
ao largo e não ver as mulheres
em grupo a caminho da igreja, onde
vai começar a missa.

Amanhã podia não ser domingo,
e as ruas estarem vazias como se
não houvesse nada para fazer; podia não
ser domingo e todas as lojas
fecharem; podia não
ser domingo e alguém perguntar
o que é que se faz quando não
é domingo.

Amanhã podia ser um dia qualquer,
e não saber em que dia estou; podia
olhar para o relógio e descobrir que
os ponteiros estão parados; podia
ouvir alguém falar, e não saber de onde
vem a voz que sai da sua boca, como
se estivesse sozinho.

Ou então, podia abrir a porta e
ver que o domingo quer entrar; e
puxá-lo para dentro da casa, para
que lá fora fique sem domingo; e
sair para a rua num dia qualquer,
perguntando a quem passa
se viu passar o domingo.
Close

SUNDAY AT HOME

Tomorrow might be Sunday, and
sunless; I might hear the bells and
say that it was just an illusion; I might
go down to the street and not find the man
who sells newspapers; I might go as far as
the square and not see the women
moving in a group towards church, where
mass is about to begin.

Tomorrow might not be Sunday,
and the streets empty as though
there were nothing to do; it might not
be Sunday, and all the stores
closed; it might not
be Sunday and someone asking
what does one do when it is
not Sunday.

Tomorrow might be any day,
and I not knowing what day it is; I might
look at my watch and discover that
its hands have stopped; I might
here someone speaking, and have no idea where
the voice that comes from their mouth comes from,
as though I were all alone.

And then, I might open the door and
see that Sunday wants to come in; and
pull it into my house, so that
the outside was left Sundayless; and
go out into the street on any day
whatsoever, asking passersby
if they saw which way Sunday went.

SUNDAY AT HOME

Tomorrow might be Sunday, and
sunless; I might hear the bells and
say that it was just an illusion; I might
go down to the street and not find the man
who sells newspapers; I might go as far as
the square and not see the women
moving in a group towards church, where
mass is about to begin.

Tomorrow might not be Sunday,
and the streets empty as though
there were nothing to do; it might not
be Sunday, and all the stores
closed; it might not
be Sunday and someone asking
what does one do when it is
not Sunday.

Tomorrow might be any day,
and I not knowing what day it is; I might
look at my watch and discover that
its hands have stopped; I might
here someone speaking, and have no idea where
the voice that comes from their mouth comes from,
as though I were all alone.

And then, I might open the door and
see that Sunday wants to come in; and
pull it into my house, so that
the outside was left Sundayless; and
go out into the street on any day
whatsoever, asking passersby
if they saw which way Sunday went.
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