N.P. van Wyk Louw is one of the towering giants of Afrikaans literature. The stark beauty of so many of his poems remain unsurpassed even to this day.
Below is a modest attempt of mine to convey the beauty in one of van Wyk Louw's shorter
poems, taken from the collection Die Halwe Kring ("The Half-Circle"). The Afrikaans version is first, and my English
translation thereafter.
Voordag
O silwre vreugde, kom,
uit hierdie silwer dag:
my hart is oop en dorstig
hier waar ek gaan en wag
- 'n skadu en 'n roering
in ligter skaduwees -
in huiwering en verlange,
swaar vir jou koms bevrees,
maar maatloos in begeerte
na jou en na jou mag,
en bang en altyd banger,
vir iedere dorre dag.
Dawn
O silvery joy, o come,
out of this silver day:
my open heart is thirsting
here where I go to wait
- a shadow and a stirring
within the lighter shades -
in doubtfulness and yearning,
fearing your appearance,
yet boundless in desire
for you and for your power,
more and always more afraid
of every arid day.
Copyright (c) Maartens Lourens, 2014
1 comment:
Welgedaan
Post a Comment