Halina Poswiatowska canon in translation.  Dziela II 23. / DZIELA 1-2
(poems not in _Wiersze Wybrane_ (Selected Poems), Jan Zych ed. / DRAFT2)

		The Pantomime
		-------------------------------------------------------

		I

		upon the moon's narrow thread 
		Columbine descended to the deck
		she pirouetted on tiptoe
		the simple straight planks

		in each of her eyes
		there lodged
		a star fallen from the sky
		sheltered by
		a stiffened eyelash

		when she wobbled
		on her feet lifted tips
		the moon --
		would polish the way back

		she sat down
		to rest
		on the white wall

		just then
		the curtain flew up

		II

		he wore tights
		and a ruffle around his neck
		on his narrow lips
		more lipstick
		than sunlight on a fair day

		he played
		a guitar confiscated in a customs house

		Columbine opened her eyes
		a star
		lodged in the clown's eye
		he wobbled on the wall
		slid down
		to her feet
		clad in flat shoes

		the night was passing
		above their faces turned to each other
		the night
		whispering a splash of water
		challenging
		to a duel
		the flash of a distant lighthouse

		III

		a dark butterfly
		brushed its wing
		on their open mouths
		the dark butterfly
		sat on an extended hand

		Columbine looked on a miracle
		the dawn crept out
		aquamarine and bluish
		the butterfly flew
		awakened by her heart's thud

		the night
		stepped down to the water's bottom
		their love was cloudy
		like a gale-torn maple
		their love shone
		like an acacia blooming in the rain
		their love was heavy
		like the wet clusters of lilac

		IV

		when she dried her hair
		in the afternoon's bright sun
		the clown
		thawed on a block of ice

		the water stuck to the ship's sides
		it whispered -- stay
		it whispered -- don't go
		Columbine climbed on tiptoe
		in torn shoes

		she would say that raspberries
		taste of kisses
		she would say that the red ones
		hang from the bush
		and run into cupped hands
		in a rosary of blood

		she would say of leaves that they roar
		over her closed eyes
		and she pressed her burning mouth
		to the tree trunk's rough bark

		on a flat wall
		nailed by a stream of light
		
		
		        Halina Poswiatowska d. 11 October 1967
		        translated from the Polish
		        by Marek Lugowski marek@enteract.com
		        10 November 2004 Chicago, Illinois

		pantomima
		-------------------------------------------------------

		I

		po wa/skiej nici ksie/z/yca
		zeszl/a kolombina na pokl/ad
		piruetem na wzniesionych palcach
		proste otan/czyl/a deski

		w kaz/dym jej oku
		tkwil/a
		z nieba spadl/a gwiazda
		przysl/onie/ta
		usztywniona/ rze/sa/

		gdy sie/ chwial/a
		na sto/p uniesionych kon/cach
		ksie/z/yc --
		szlifowal/ droge/ wstecz

		na s/cianie bial/ej
		usiadl/a
		aby odpocza/c/

		i wl/as/nie
		frune/l/a w go/re/ kurtyna

		II

		mial/ obcisl/y trykot
		i kryzke/ woko/l/ szyi
		na wa/skich ustach
		wie/cej szminki
		niz/ dzien/ pogodny s/wiatl/a

		gral/
		na skonfiskowanej w urze/dzie celnym gitarze

		kolombina otworzyl/a oczy
		gwiazda
		utkwil/a w oku pajaca
		zatoczyl/ sie/ na s/cianie
		zsunal/
		do jej sto/p
		w pl/askich pantofelkach

		mijal/a noc
		ponad ich zwro/conymi ku sobie twarzami
		noc
		poszeptuja/ca pluskiem wody
		na pojedynek
		wyzywaja/ca
		latarni dalekiej bl/ysk

		III

		ciemny motyl
		skrzydl/em
		dotkna/l/ ich rozchylonych ust
		ciemny motyl usiadl/
		na wycia/gnie/tej dl/oni

		kolombina patrzyl/a na cud
		seledynowo sino
		wypel/zal/ s/wit
		obudzony l/oskotem serca
		fruna/l/ motyl

		noc
		zsta/pil/a na dno wody
		mil/os/c/ ich byl/a pochmurna
		jak wydarty wichrem klon
		mil/os/c/ ls/nil/a
		jak rozkwitl/a akacja w deszczu
		mil/os/c/ ich byl/a cie/z/ka
		jak namokl/e kis/cie bzu

		IV

		kiedy w jasnym sl/on/cu pol/udnia
		suszyl/a mokre wl/osy
		pajac
		topnial/ na bryl/ce lodu

		woda przylgl/a do boko/w okre/tu
		szeptal/a -- zostan/
		szeptal/a -- nie chodz/
		kolombina wspinal/a stopy
		w podartych pantofelkach

		mo/wil/a z/e maliny
		maja/ smak pocal/unko/w
		mo/wil/a z/e czerwone
		zwisaja/ z krzewu
		i w nastawione re/ce
		biegna/ ro/z/an/cem krwi

		o lis/ciach mo/wil/a z/e szumia/
		ponad zamknie/tymi oczyma
		i przyciskal/a rozpalone usta
		do chropowatej kory pnia

		na pl/askiej s/cianie
		przybita smuga/ s/wiatl/a

source:
Halina Poswiatowska, _Dziela, Poezja 1 and 2_ (_The Works, Poetry 1 and 2_),
Wydawnictwo Literackie, Krakow: 1997.  Source language: Polish.

Copyright Information Data (CID):
        Copyright by Teresa M. Pore/bska and Zbigniew Myga
        Copyright by Wydawnictwo Literackie, Krako/w 1997

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