Halina Poswiatowska canon in translation.  Dziela I 76. / DZIELA I and II
not in _Wiersze Wybrane_ (Selected Poems), Jan Zych ed. / DRAFT2

		Over an Immolated Jewess
		-------------------------------------------------------

		O Sulamita how were you dying?
		wistfully
		when the wind made a toy for the flames
		of your white body
		Jeanne d'Arc did not turn to ashes quite so
		but differently

		Whose hair poured gold
		in all the snapping sparks
		whose mouth went stigmatized with
		a fired shot

		And what for?
		O Sulamita
		whenever the fire burns
		under a good pot
		I scan through my hands in rose hue
		I look

		I ask O Sulamita
		what for?
		in daytime at nighttime
		and I gride

		because I would like to buy back
		your Jewish body
		from the Christian flames
		to bring you back the Jewish meadow
		warmed
		holy -- rained on
		and the youth

		Dimly they wrote out your name
		over a whitewashed ditch
		it glows
		with the syllables of unburnt metal
		with hatred they wrote out your name
		O crumbled earth
		O Sulamita


			Halina Poswiatowska d. 11 October 1967
			translated from the Polish
			by Marek Lugowski marek@enteract.com
			12 March 2000 Chicago

		Nad spalona Zydowka
		-------------------------------------------------------

		Sulamito jak umieral/as/?
		rzewnie
		kiedy z twojego bial/ego cial/a
		wiatr uczynil/ zabawke/ pl/omieniom
		Jeanne d'Arc nie tak spopielal/a
		inaczej

		Czyje wl/osy sypal/y zl/oto
		w wszystkich trzaskaja/cych iskrach
		czyje usta napie/tnowal/
		wystrzal/

		I po co?
		Sulamito
		ilekroc/ ogien/ pl/onie
		pod dobrym garnkiem
		przes/wietlam ro/z/owo dl/onie
		patrze/

		i pytam Sulamito
		po co?
		w dzien/ w noc
		i zgrzytam

		bo chcial/abym odkupic/
		twoje z/ydowskie cial/o
		z chrzes/cijan/skich pl/omieni
		wro/cic/ ci z/ydowska/ l/a/ke/
		nagrzana/
		s/wie/ta/ -- pod deszczem
		i ml/odos/c/

		Wypisali ciemno twoje imie/
		nad pobielownym rowem
		s/wieci
		zgl/oskami nie spalonego metalu
		nienawis/cia/ wypisali twoje imie/
		rozkruszona ziemio
		Sulamito


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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