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