The following was taken from Jaan Kaplinski’s Evening Brings Everything Back, translated by the author and Fiona Sampson, Bloodaxe Books, 2004.
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* * *
(...)
Evening, you bring back everything the bright dawn scattered:
bring back the ewe, bring back the kid, bring back the child back to its mother.
SAPPHO
(…)
Evening star, tender star,
takes the little birds from the field,
takes the geese from the meadow,
puts the old under a blanket,
the young to sleep in the corner.
Morning star, cruel star,
chases the little birds to the field,
gets the old out of bed,
raises the young from the corner.
ESTONIAN FOLK SONG
*
The snow’s melting. Water’s dripping.
The wind’s blowing, gently.
Boughs sway. There’s fire in the stove.
The radiators are warm.
Anu is doing exercises on the piano.
Ott and Tambet are making a snowman.
Maarja’s preparing lunch.
The wooden horse is looking in at the window.
I am looking out of the window.
I am writing a poem.
I’m writing that today is Sunday.
That the snow’s melting. That water’s dripping.
That the wind’s blowing, et cetera, et cetera.
