Poets Translate Poets: A Hudson Review Anthology

Anonymous Poets

Anonymous Poets 287  Anonymous Poets (ca. Late Eighteenth Century, Early Nineteenth Century) Prayer O you from whom it came comes you lord of what is whether you’re a man whether you’re a woman lord of what’s born whatever you are lord of the sight beyond where are you you above at this moment you below at this moment presence throne sceptre shining around them hear me maybe the sky is your floor maybe the sea is your roof maker of above and below 288 Quechua as we are you made us lord above lords my eyes are weak with longing to see you only with longing to know you make it be that I see you make it be that I know you make it be that I hold you in my thought make it be that you are clear in my mind look at me for you know me sun and moon day and night spring and winter you set them in order you from whom it came comes all of them run the course you marked out for them all of them reach the goal you set for them wherever you wanted it you bearing the king’s scepter Anonymous Poets 289  hear me choose me do not let me grow tired do not let me die Prayer You from whom the universe came from whom the universe came you who made it everything burn alone alone only you in the night that is my heart when dawn comes let it show me the joy of your eyes when the wind comes let it warm me with your breath let your hand that gives be held out forever and what you want forever be the only flower Prayer Come closer truth from above us truth from below us 290 Quechua who made the form of the world you who let it all exist who alone made man ten times with eyes full of darkness I must worship you saying Brightness stretched out before you look at me lord notice me and your rivers your waterfalls your birds give me your life all you can help me to call with your voices even now we taste the joy of your will and we remember it all we are happy even so we are filled as we go away as we go Herder’s Song I wish for a llama Anonymous Poets 291  with a gold coat like the sun’s strong as love soft as the cloud dissolving at daybreak from its hair I’d make a knotted cord the knots counting the moons going the flowers dying “Joy in your mouth” Joy in your mouth joy on your tongue all day and tonight you will fast and later you will sing like a lark then it may be that in our joy in the smiling upon us from some place in the world the one who made us the lord of the powers will hear you Ho he will say to you and wherever you are you will live 292 Quechua forever with no other lord you will be “I’m bringing up a fly” I’m bringing up a fly with golden wings bringing up a fly with eyes burning it carries death in its eyes of fire carries death in its golden hair in its gorgeous wings in a green bottle I’m bringing it up nobody knows if it drinks nobody knows if it eats at night it goes wandering like a star wounding to death with red rays from its eyes of fire it carries love in its eyes of fire flashes in the night its blood Anonymous Poets 293  the love it bears in its breast insect of night fly bearing death in a green bottle I’m bringing it up I love it that much but nobody no nobody knows if I give it to drink nobody knows if I feed it “My mother brought me to life” My mother brought me to life ay in a rain cloud ay like rain to weep ay like rain to go around ay passing from door to door ay like a feather in the air ay “When you find you’re alone on the island...