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Eberhart, Richard: A vadgesztenyefa (The Horse Chestnut Tree in Hungarian)

Portre of Eberhart, Richard

The Horse Chestnut Tree (English)

Boys in sporadic but tenacious droves
Come with sticks, as certainly as Autumn,
To assault the great horse chestnut tree.
 
There is a law governs their lawlessness.
Desire is in them for a shining amulet
And the best are those that are highest up.
 
They will not pick them easily form the ground.
With shrill arms they fling to the higher branches,
To hurry the work of nature for their pleasure.
 
I have seen them trooping down the street
Their pockets stuffed with chestnuts shucked, unshucked.
It is only evening keeps them from their wish.
 
Sometimes I run out in a kind of rage
To chase the boys away; I catch an arm,
Maybe, and laugh to think of being the lawgiver.
 
I was once such a young sprout myself
And fingered in my pocket the prize and trophy.
But still I moralize upon the day
 
And see that we, outlaws on God’s property,
Fling out imagination beyond the skies
Wishing a tangible good from the unknown.
 
And likewise death will drive us from the scene
With the great flowering world unbroken yet,
Wich we held in idea, a little handful.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttps://harborsofheaven.wordpress.com

A vadgesztenyefa (Hungarian)

Fiúk elszórt, konok csapata jön
botokkal, oly biztosan, mint az ősz,
megtámadni a vadgesztenyefát.
 
Törvény az úr szabadságuk felett.
Vágynak egy fénylő amulett után,
s a legjobbak a legfentebb levők.
 
Nem a földről szedik fel könnyedén.
A legmagasabb ágakról verik,
siettetve a természet művét.
 
Láttam vonulni őket, zsebüket
héjatlan és héjas termés tömte ki.
Vágyuknak csak az est szabott határt.
 
Kirohanok olykor haragosan,
elűzni őket: megfogok egyet,
s nevetem magam, mint törvénytevőt.
 
Én is voltam ily süvölvény, aki
zsebében trófeát tapogatott.
De moralizálok még e napon.
 
Hogy mi, az Isten kivetettjei,
eget vívó ihlettel keresünk
megfoghatót a nem ismert helyett.
 
S minket is éppúgy elűz a halál,
míg töretlenül virul a világ,
melyről tudásunk egy maroknyi volt.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationH. E.

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