Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The Pike's Song - Leevi Lehto's translation of Hauen Laula

To read this poem in Finnish  link here http://www.ouka.fi/kirjasto/kirjailijat/hellaak/hauki.htm

The Pike’s Song

 
From his hole so wet and drenching
a pike rose up the tree to sing
 
when through the greyish net of clouds
first gleam of day was seen
and at the lake the lapping waves
woke up with joyous mean
the pike rose to the spruce’s crone 
to take a bite at reddish cone
      
he may have seen or heard or smelled
or learned by taste of cone
the dew-wet glory, untold yet
of that morning hour
 
opening his
mouth so bony
sidewise moving
the jawbone phoney
 
intoned a hymn
so wild-and-heavy
that birds fell silent
immediately
as if overcome by
the waters’ weight
and lonesomeness’
cold embrace.

Translation by Leevi Lehto

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