Friday 14 December 2018

Lament by Remco Campert

Lament

Here now along the long deep water
that I thought that I thought that you would always
that you would always

here now along the long deep water
where behind reed beds behind reed beds the sun
that I thought that you always would always

that always your eyes your eyes and the air
always your eyes and the air
always rippling in the water rippling

that always in living silence
that I always should live in living silence
that you would always that waving reed always

along the long deep water that always your skin
that always at midday your skin
always in summer at midday your skin

that always your eyes would break
that always from joy your eyes would break
always in the calm midday

along the long deep water that I thought
that I thought that you would always
that I thought that joy would always

that always the light still at midday
that always the midday light your olive-skinned shoulder
your olive-skinned shoulder always in the midday light

that always your cry hanging
always your bird cry hanging
at midday in the summer in the air

that always the living air that always
always the rippling water at midday your skin
I thought that everything would always I thought that never

here now along the long deep water that never
I thought that always that never that you never
that frost never that no ice ever the water

here now along the long deep water I thought never
that snow ever the cypress I thought never
that snow never the cypress that you never more



Original title: Lamento From the collection: Dichter - Uitgeverij De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam - 1995