Every so often a star or a voice
falls so deep, that he supports himself
on the railing of the balcony or holding a hand
His most faithful hand is his other hand. But in this way
his hands close in a circle—they enclose him.
He cannot endure it. And he stretches forth his hands
as if he is about to embrace someone or to balance himself
and so, like a rope-dancer, looking directly in front of him
he supports himself conveniently over his own depth.
Yannis Ritsos (1909 - 1990) Greece
Translated by Rae Dalven
Source: Poetry, Vol 103, No. 5, Feb. 1964
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