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Larkin, Philip: Álljon e vers (This Be The Verse in Hungarian)

Portre of Larkin, Philip
Portre of Mesterházi Mónika

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This Be The Verse (English)

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.  

    They may not mean to, but they do.  

They fill you with the faults they had

    And add some extra, just for you.

 

But they were fucked up in their turn

     By fools in old-style hats and coats,  

Who half the time were soppy-stern

    And half at one another’s throats.

 

Man hands on misery to man.

    It deepens like a coastal shelf.

Get out as early as you can,

    And don’t have any kids yourself.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://www.poetryfoundation.org

Álljon e vers (Hungarian)

Kibasznak veled őseid.

     Akarták vagy sem: sikerül.

Hibájuk mind beléd tömik,

     Sőt, neked külön is kerül.

 

De éppígy basztak ki velük

     A vén frakkos-csipkés hülyék,

Kik zordak voltak, könnyesek –

     Mikor nem egymást öldelék.

 

Az ember poklot örökít.

     Úgy mélyül, mint a partszegély.

Te szállj ki ebből, míg lehet,

     Addig meg gyerek nélkül élj.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://dia.jadox.pim.hu

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