'' The shadows of birds''

Yannis Ritsos

He saw the shadows of birds
upon the grass
he tried to measure the distance
between the bird and its shadow
an uncertain distance
later on
he set his keys on the table
closed his eyes
gave up measuring
he smiled to himself
inside the immeasurable
the obedience and devoutness
of mortality

.from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 374]
(translated by Scott KIng) 

The quiet middays of summer in western neighborhoods of Athens I

 

Yannis Ritsos
Childhood memory

Summer noon, the grownups were asleep.
A water bucket tipped off the steps onto the tiles of the corridor.
And then, beneath the corridor, at the very spot
that the bucket poured out, a cool storage room opened up
after being forgotten for years. Within were birds
taking refuge with tiny violins and tiny linen towels,
those starched linens of an old and sorrowful tidiness,
two broken chairs, a basket of grapes,
a pair of red sandals, a tall glass,
chalk, a school bell, and the tiny woodworker
that sawed the cicada's great stairway. Before long
a light breeze began to come from within
furrowing a trace of the sea and poetry's forehead
with that lame, neglected, and childish scowl.

from Small Dedications (1960-1965) [Collected Poems Delta' -- pg 140]
(translated by Scott King_http://yannisritsos.blogspot.gr/2008/04/peace.html)

 Yannis Ritsos
Peacefulness

Morning sleep, punctured by the voice of cicadas and birds.
Light fights its way into the room. The woman got up noiselessly,
closed the windows, just as he wished. "It's early.
You're still sleepy," she said to him and covered him with the sheet. The sea
climbed from his toenails up to his Adam's apple
with slow, blue, internal steps. And an instant later
the smoke of fields and the hooves of horses are heard in the street. 

from Small Dedications (1960-1965) [Collected Poems Delta' -- pg 143]
(translated by Scott King_http://yannisritsos.blogspot.gr/2008/04/peace.html)

It's hard for me but I like walking alone during hot hours of noon. At these particular hours you hardly meet someone outside in these townsections. There is a strange feeling of silence everywhere except the loudness of greek light. Houses are like abandoned. Windows and doors are closed because of the high temperature. And finally the white colour is at its whitest point that you have ever seen. Also the midday summer dreams are brilliant, full of cicades, sweet watermelons, some whispers that are coming from the road and deep-deep shadows. This is a memory that I carry with me since my childhooh. For all grownups who they must be in work now, it is only a sweet daydream.

On the hills of Aetolia

Yannis Ritsos

I'm not listening to you—he says—
I find the hill beautiful
the tree beautiful
the shadow of birds on the grass
and myself
beautiful—he says—
in the water or in the mirror
whatever you say
my part isn't diminished
in the river
or in a rose.

from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 361]

(translated by Scott King)

'' The shadows of birds''

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query '' The shadows of birds''.

The shadows of birds II

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query The shadows of birds.

She is skilfull with her hands

Yannis Ritsos 

The shadows of birds: 59

Beneath the trees
an evening of secretive birds
and their tiny whispers
a bed sheet
stretched out on the street
very white
still the boy from the restaurant
placed a glass of carnations
on the table
and another
climbed from the lake
sat at the empty seat
and ate
with the usual quiet motions
as you add up the dead
and forget.


translated by scott King

'' The shadows of birds'' II

see also "The shadow of birds" and Horizon

If he grows up and becomes taller, he will see the horizon

Yannis Ritsos

The boys grew
their clothes became so tight
the bloom of their bodies
was revealed—
in chance encounters
at night
on the lighted streets
after they had wished us a good evening
they acted as if they had sinned
or as if we sinned against ourselves
looking with bowed heads
at their brown shoes.

from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 355-358]

White shades

 Shades create the shapes...

Yanis Ritsos
"The shadows of birds"

35.
The shadow of your body
upon the earth
takes up more room
than your body
I dress in your shadow
dark invisible
photographic negative—
tomorrow it will appear
all in white
with a black fingerprint
outside the frame.

Translated by Scott King http://yannisritsos.blogspot.gr

Τhe unbearable lightness of lighten white surfaces

Yannis Ritsos

Water and coal
song and stone
the bird and its cage
it and its shadow
tame
in love
everything falls
for the unattainable—
O deprivation O negation
antistrophe acceptance

affirmative.

from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 367]

translated by Scott King : http://yannisritsos.blogspot.gr/search/label/The%20Shadows%20of%20Birds%20%281980%29

 

Sisters

Yannis Ritsos

The shadow of your body
upon the earth
takes up more room
than your body
I dress in your shadow
dark invisible
photographic negative—
tomorrow it will appear
all in white
with a black fingerprint
outside the frame

from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 358-360]
(translated by Scott King)

A woman is always...

Στα τέλεια εκείνα αγάλματα
τα ακέφαλα
μου λείπει πάντοτε
η έκφραση των ματιών σου

Τάκης Μενδράκος, "Τα τετράστιχα της πικρής βροχής", σελ.57

Ήρεμη θλίψη
όταν σαρώνει ο άνεμος τα φύλλα
...όταν τα χείλη
και το δέρμα ενθυμούνται...

Τάκης Μενδράκος, "Τα τετράστιχα της πικρής βροχής", σελ.51

The women weren't around
I cut a rose
and put it on my jacket
later in the evening
the women came back
I said your name inside me
I have the rose. 

Yannis Ritsos,  from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 345-349]
(translated by Scott King)

Apocalypsis

Yannis Ritsos

Mutual forgetfulness
he and death
after the rain
the women went out
to gather snails
they cooked them
for their supper
through the sky light
a yellow cloud entered
I didn't say a word.

from The Shadows of Birds (1980) [Collected Poems: IDelta ---pg 349-353]
(translated by Scott King)