Ted Hughes. Two Eskimo Songs
I. ESCAPE FROM ETERNITY
Man Without a Face, ran along the ground
without eyes, without mouth gololitsy ran
He knew that running on the rocks Death
He knew that he was a ghost that's all he knew.
Feeling under the rocks for millions of years
He found a slug
but it was struck by lightning
He smoked parched halo numb in his hands.
Feeling under the rocks for millions of years
He found trout
but hit white hot smoke from frost
star fish frozen crystals.
Feeling under the rocks for millions of years
He found a mouse but
exhalation time
spills it in the crumbs under the knuckles.
He found a sharp stone struck a hole in your face
through blood and pain of looking at the ground.
He struck even deeper, and through blood and pain
screamed at the lightning, the cold and for a time.
Then, lying among the bones on the cemetery ground,
He saw a woman who sang the stomach.
He gave it to her eyes and mouth in exchange for a song.
She wept blood, she cried out in pain.
Pain and blood was life. But the man laughed -
song was worth.
She felt betrayed.
II. HOW WATER STARTS TO PLAY
Water wanted to live
She went to the sun she came sobbing
Water wanted to live
She went to the trees are burned, she returned sobbing
They rot she came sobbing
Water wanted to live
She went to the colors are faded, she returned sobbing
She wanted to live
I went to the womb met blood
returned sobbing
I went to the womb met knife
Returned Sobbing
I went to the womb met lust depravity
She came back sobbing wanted to die
She went back to the time through a door made of stone
Returned Sobbing
Went through space look nothing
She came back sobbing wanted to die
While sobs did not end
She was lying on the bottom
absolutely knackered совершенно чистая
Ted Hughes. Two Eskimo Songs
I. FLEEING FROM ETERNITY
Man came running faceless over earth
Eyeless and mouthless baldface he ran
He knew he trod the stone of death
He knew he was a ghost it was all he knew.
Feeling a million years under stones
He found a slug
but the lightning struck it
It fumed to a scorched halo on his numbed palm.
Feeling a million years under stones
He found a trout
but a white hot frost fell
From the exhaust of a star the fish frittered to crystals.
Feeling a million years under stones
He found a mouse
but a sigh of time
Breathed it to crumbs of knuckles.
He got a sharp rock he gashed holes in his face
Through the blood and pain he looked at the earth.
He gashed again deeper and through the blood and pain
He screeched at the lightning, at the frost, and at time.
Then, lying among the bones on the cemetery earth,
He saw a woman singing out of her belly.
He gave her eyes and a mouth, in exchange for the song.
She wept blood, she cried pain.
The pain and the blood were life. But the man laughed –
The song was worth it.
The woman felt cheated.
II. HOW WATER BEGAN TO PLAY
Water wanted to live
It went to the sun it came weeping back
Water wanted to live
It went to the trees they burned it came weeping back
They rotted it came weeping back
Water wanted to live
It went to the flowers they crumpled it came weeping back
It wanted to live
It went to the womb it met blood
It came weeping back
It went to the womb it met knife
It came weeping back
It went to the womb it met maggot and rottenness
It came weeping back it wanted to die
It went to time it went through the stone door
It came weeping back
It went searching through all space for nothingness
It came weeping back it wanted to die
Till it had no weeping left
It lay at the bottom of all things
Utterly worn out utterly clear
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