On the smooth, bright path
They lie, scattered and subdued.
Brown, like a soft mouth smiling
Full and round and finely shining,
I hear them like a rippling Etüde.
As I take one and lay it in my hand
Softly and tenderly like a little child,
I think of the tree and of the wind awhile
And how softly through leaves was its cry.
Like the chestnut, this faint song
Must be like summer that, unnoticed, fades before long,
And, as a last farewell, parts with only a sigh.
And the one, here in my hand,
Is not brown and shining like the others,
But as dull and sleepy as sand
That rolls with it through my fingers.
Slowly, step by step, inclined no longer to linger
I set my feet to stroll along further.
They lie, scattered and subdued.
Brown, like a soft mouth smiling
Full and round and finely shining,
I hear them like a rippling Etüde.
As I take one and lay it in my hand
Softly and tenderly like a little child,
I think of the tree and of the wind awhile
And how softly through leaves was its cry.
Like the chestnut, this faint song
Must be like summer that, unnoticed, fades before long,
And, as a last farewell, parts with only a sigh.
And the one, here in my hand,
Is not brown and shining like the others,
But as dull and sleepy as sand
That rolls with it through my fingers.
Slowly, step by step, inclined no longer to linger
I set my feet to stroll along further.
Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger (1924- 1942) Ukraine
Translated by David Paley
Source: Poems without frontiers
Translated by David Paley
Source: Poems without frontiers
Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger's poem beautifully captures the fleeting nature of life, evoking deep reflection through the simple imagery of chestnuts. The quiet, tender tone mirrors the impermanence of moments, leaving a lasting sense of melancholy.
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Thanks for your comment riktika - but please do not include links to commercial sites. If you post comments in future I will not publish them if a commerical link is inlcuded.
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