Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Roni Margulies

ANCIENT RIVER

The Maas is the oldest river in the world.
It has flowed now for about a million years.
I never knew, they can apparently tell
the age of rivers, like that of men.
 
It is born in France, baptised as the Meuse,
wanders into Belgium, meanders for a while,
then winds into Holland to meet the North Sea.
These thoughts came to me in the lift.
 
I got off on the eleventh floor,
and three lands, 900 kms, a million years
and uncountable tonnes of cascading water
walked with me into my room.

En Yaşlı Nehri Dünyanın

En Yaşlı Nehri Dünyanın

En yaşlı nehriymiş Maas dünyanın,
bir milyon yıldır akıyormuş yaklaşık.
Ben de bilmiyordum ama, nehirlerin de
bilinebiliyormuş işte yaşı, insanlar gibi.
 
Fransa’da Meuse adıyla gelip dünyaya,
Belçika’ya geçip oradan, dolanıp biraz,
Hollanda’da dökülüyor Kuzey Denizi’ne.
Asansörde geldi bütün bunlar aklıma.
 
On birinci katta indim
ve üç ülke, 900 km, bir milyon sene
ve çağlayarak akan sonsuz miktarda su
benimle birlikte girdi odama.
Close

ANCIENT RIVER

The Maas is the oldest river in the world.
It has flowed now for about a million years.
I never knew, they can apparently tell
the age of rivers, like that of men.
 
It is born in France, baptised as the Meuse,
wanders into Belgium, meanders for a while,
then winds into Holland to meet the North Sea.
These thoughts came to me in the lift.
 
I got off on the eleventh floor,
and three lands, 900 kms, a million years
and uncountable tonnes of cascading water
walked with me into my room.

ANCIENT RIVER

The Maas is the oldest river in the world.
It has flowed now for about a million years.
I never knew, they can apparently tell
the age of rivers, like that of men.
 
It is born in France, baptised as the Meuse,
wanders into Belgium, meanders for a while,
then winds into Holland to meet the North Sea.
These thoughts came to me in the lift.
 
I got off on the eleventh floor,
and three lands, 900 kms, a million years
and uncountable tonnes of cascading water
walked with me into my room.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère