Modern Czech Poetry/Water
1. VODA.
Sladká a lstivá
duše jak žen
řítíš se, vlno,
krajkovím pěn.
Stříkej a huč,
srdce mi zmuč
dravou a vábnou svou písní!
Divoká v horách,
tiše co dech
omýváš města
špinavý břeh.
Vezmi se, vem
bláto i šlem,
všechno, co dusí a tísní!
Pokleknu, přijmu
od tebe křest,
nabudu síly
hoře své nést.
Odejdu tam,
kde lze být sám,
v kraj, který duch můj si vysní.
„Uzkosti a naděje“ (1913).
1. WATER.
Sweet and enticing
As women's souls,
Lace-foamed. O billow,
Thy surging rolls.
Bluster and dart,
Tangle my heart
In swiftness and lure of thy singing.
Fierce in the mountains,
Soft as a sigh,
Drab shores of the city
Thou ripplest by.
Bear thou away
The mire and the clay,
With burden and plague of their clinging.
I kneel and thou givest
Baptism's dower;
Grief now I master,
Strong with thy power.
Yonder I fare
To solitude's lair,
To the land of my phantasy's bringing.
“Anguish and Hope” (1913).
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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