Endre Ady: Journey On Cart In The Night
I am reviving an older translation from Google Plus, because I am in that mood. A poem of the Hungarian poet Endre Ady, written in 1909.
Raxa-lenda lómis
Mana nauka sí Isil,
I lóme mana úna, úpa,
Man’ amlunga nánye síra,
Mana nauka sí Isil.
Ilye i Quante rákine,
Ilye nári rúkine *ruitar,
Ilye melmi *nihtassen kaitar,
Ilye i Quante rákine.
Faika raxa óni nóra,
Epe *vequi víla yaime,
Perta sére, perta yalme,
Faika raxa óni nóra.
A Journey On Cart In The Night
How stumped is the Moon,
The night what a desert, dumb,
How sad I am today,
How stumped is the Moon.
All that is Whole has been broken,
All Flames burn only in parts,
All Love is in pieces,
All that is Whole has been broken.
A bad cart is running with me,
Followed by as if a wail, flying,
Half silence and half clamour
A bad cart is running with me.
Here's a poetic translation by Donal Gordon:
NIGHT-RIDE ON A CART
How broken 'tis, tonight, the Moon,
the night, how waste it is, how dumb,
how heavy is my heart tonight,
how maimed the Moon.
Everything whole is in shattered parts,
every flame just a fitful ebb,
every love in bits,
everything splintered.
A creaking cart bears me away.
Behind (is it?) a wail of pain ...
Half deep hush, half wild din:
a creaking cart bears me away.
Kocsi-út az éjszakában
Milyen csonka ma a Hold,
Az éj milyen sivatag, néma,
Milyen szomoru vagyok én ma,
Milyen csonka ma a Hold.
Minden Egész eltörött,
Minden láng csak részekben lobban,
Minden szerelem darabokban,
Minden Egész eltörött.
Fut velem egy rossz szekér,
Utána mintha jajszó szállna,
Félig mély csönd és félig lárma,
Fut velem egy rossz szekér.
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