Modern Czech Poetry/Adagio
2. ADAGIO.
Do velké, šedé škeble mramoru,
kde místo vody svadlé listí leží,
se kloní větve bříz a javorů.
Vše v dřímotě, jen mraky nebem běží.
Zde chtěl bych státi v zamyšlení dumném
a dívat se, jak večer táhne sem,
a luňák v letu posupném a šumném
jak po kořisti slídí nad lesem;
tou sochou chtěl bych býti kamennou,
jež o samotě dumá v lesní hloubi,
jež s větry mluví jen a ozvěnou,
na jejíž skráni s nocí den se snoubí.
2. ADAGIO.
Over the marble with its great drab shell,
Where faded leaves in place of water lie,
The boughs of birches and of maples fell:
All slumbers, save the scudding clouds on high.
Fain would I linger here in wistful poring,
And gaze at evening drawing nigh this way;
And at the hawk's gloom-covered, clamorous soaring,
How o'er the wood he watches for his prey;
Fain would I be this statue wrought in stone,
On loneliness in forest-depths to brood,
Speaking with winds and echo all alone,
Upon whose brow the night by day is wooed.
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The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 53 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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