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Kolenič, Ivan: A certain Lady Anna (Istá pani Anna in English)

Portre of Kolenič, Ivan
Portre of Sutherland-Smith, James

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Istá pani Anna (Slovak)

Jej zmyslom už nie je krása,
Nad všetko povznesená krása; oči má váhavé
a tvár okrúhlu ako oceľová hlaveň
alebo ako ruská vdova; hebký úsmev
sa jej rodí na úzkych perách,
ešte nenarúžovaných. (Vychovala šesť detí,
pri poslednom takmer prišla o život...)
Pozrite, šelmy moje!
Plochý, nezničiteľný svet.
Jablko hnijúce tam, kde sa do štiav mäkko vnárajú
Jemnučké nôžky jarnej osy.
Ó áno, to je dôvod, aby sa ani nepohla,
keď jej smrť pritakáva ako vzorná matka.
Plochý a nezničiteľný svet.
Ako rosnička, omylom preskakujúca
olejovú škvrnu, model bezbrehého jazera.
Žeriavy plachtia nad Európou,
Pred zabitím čistejšie
Ako po zabíjaní.
Vzrušuje ma, že by som mohol byť svedkom...



PublisherSlovenský spisovateľ
Source of the quotationPôvabné hry aristokracie
Publication date

A certain Lady Anna (English)

Her purpose is no longer beauty,
But beyond all sublime beauty; her eyes are hesitant
and her face round as steel gun barrel
or a Russian widow’s; a pliant smile
is conceived in her with narrow lips
still unrouged (she’s brought up six kids
and nearly died of the last...)
Look, you Jack-the-lads!
A flat, indestructible world.
An apple rots there where wasps immerse
Their delicate legs in the tender juices.
Oh yes, this is the reason she didn’t even move
when her death nodded like an ideal mother.
A flat, indestructible world.
Like a little frog she jumped by mistake
into an oily stain, a model of a lake without banks.
Cranes sail over Europe,
Before I slaughter more cleanly,
As if after a killing.
She taunts me that I could be a witness...



Source of the quotationOne Hundred Years of Slovak Literature

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