Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Esther Kinsky

BY THE FIELD

The women at the window
each in her house her brow 
on the cracked frame or 
on the trembling pane or her
hand held to her brow against the sun
which is low in the sky
already winter-wan and
not very reliable.

They look out and eyes almost
shut they see the shadows
each her own 
bluish and delicate
lying on the ground
the ears of corn
scattered like stones
among the woody stalks.
 

HET VELD

De vrouwen bij het raam
elk in hun huis met het voorhoofd
tegen de verweerde dorpels geleund of
tegen het trillende glas of de hand
tegen het voorhoofd vanwege de zon
die laag staat
winterwaarts zwak en
niet erg betrouwbaar.

Zij kijken naar buiten en met bijna
gesloten ogen zien zij de schaduwen
ieder haar eigen
blauwig en zacht
liggend op de grond
de aren
als stenen uitgespreid
over de verhoute akker.

AM FELD

Die frauen am fenster
jede in ihrem haus die stirn
an die rissigen rahmen gelehnt oder
ans zitternde glas oder die hand
an die stirn gelegt gegen die sonne
die tief steht
winterzu schwach und 
nicht sehr verlässlich.

Sie schauen hinaus und bei fast
geschlossenen augen sehn sie die schatten
jede den ihren
bläulich und zart
am boden liegen
die ähren
wie steine verstreut
auf verholztem acker.
 
Close

BY THE FIELD

The women at the window
each in her house her brow 
on the cracked frame or 
on the trembling pane or her
hand held to her brow against the sun
which is low in the sky
already winter-wan and
not very reliable.

They look out and eyes almost
shut they see the shadows
each her own 
bluish and delicate
lying on the ground
the ears of corn
scattered like stones
among the woody stalks.
 

BY THE FIELD

The women at the window
each in her house her brow 
on the cracked frame or 
on the trembling pane or her
hand held to her brow against the sun
which is low in the sky
already winter-wan and
not very reliable.

They look out and eyes almost
shut they see the shadows
each her own 
bluish and delicate
lying on the ground
the ears of corn
scattered like stones
among the woody stalks.
 
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère