Nihil - Frigyes Karinthy

Recitative

 

As a last act, I visited my former lover

And we had a conversation in the stairwell:

We went inside as the wind was savage

And heavy drops were falling.

 

We said a final farewell, I no longer love her:

Then I went down Rottenbiller Street,

Bought chestnuts, but could not swallow them,

Met my friend Biró.

 

Biró talked about neo-impressionism,

I said: everything must be stopped

Art should not have boundaries -

No beat, no line, no colour.

 

Or to put it another way, art is what you think,

And if you don't think of anything, that, too, is art -

And if you only feel something, that is also art,

And if not for you, well, it is for me.

 

And if this is not art for you,

Dear Ernő, well then it's not art -

What is important is not whether it is

Or is not art - that's unimportant.

 

And if this is not art, well then, so be it.

But then art is not necessary at all -

Because what is important is that

People should listen and have a good time.

 

Biro was angry and stayed in the street,

I went into a coffee house:

Then a strong, argumentative gust of wind

Came and slammed the door shut.

 

I said something rude to the wind,

Drank coffee and read a paper:

There was some article about the purpose of poetry,

But I didn't agree with it.

 

And yes: coming down in the stairwell

(Still at my former lover's place) I thought,

That I should now say “up yours”

And stick out my tongue.

---

Frigyes Karinthy (1887 - 1938) Hungary

Translated by Leslie A. Kery

Source: Visegrad Magic Cube (Babelmatrix)