Modern Czech Poetry/Song
3.
Bolest, jako velký pták,
na mém srdci těžce sedí.
Nehýbe se. Mrtvě hledí
její zkrvavený zrak.
„Ptáku, vstaň! Opusť mne! Vzleť!
Udusíš mne! Nemám dechu;“
Ale jakou, pro útěchu,
skřehotá mi odpověď:
„Slétnu jen, kde světla zřídla
v azuru se vpíjí mez.
Udusím tě, věz to, věz,
nenarostou-li ti křídla!“
„Všemu navzdory“ (1916).
3. SONG.
Sorrow, like a mighty bird
Weighs upon my heart, its lair,
And it moves not. Dead the stare
From its eye that blood has blurred.
“Bird, arise! O, leave me! Fly!
Thou art stifling me! I faint!”
But, as solace for my plaint,
Croakingly it makes reply:
“Only where the radiant springs
Quaff their azure brink, I flee.
Know that I shall stifle thee
If thou canst not get thee wings.”
“In spite of all” (1916).
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 53 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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