Statecraft, sagacity
Gone to the moutain council
My lord has planted his banner
We must not go there

And clearly
Alone I am nothing
Come read it now -

Returning to Worms
I take nail and hammer

The hand touches sky
The foot presses down on the ground
Henceforth may nothing divorce
The hand from the sky
The feet from the ground

On the mountains forever
Winds water and fire
Scorched earth
The elements bringing forth bloodshed
Rebellion war
Plague evil sudden death

Satecraft, sagacity
Reappear
And also the men in black
Honour cries out for violence
Sagacity's foresight improves
When glasses are reddened by flames
We have not come here
To look into wisdom
But into our hearts
We have all of us come here
Not to display sagacity
But the willingness
To make sacrifices.

('Bowmen', 1955)



The Ninth Poem

And, sleeping, I am always in the tree I see
When day and night are even autumn is abroad;

That swarm of birds,
It flew
Through the eyes;

Keep yourself warm
When the pools are freezing,
Here, at the bottom of the sky,

When the sky is thin, and does not hold
And the soul
is set free.

From Talvipalatsi ('Winter Palace', 1959)

Translated by Anselm Hollo