Robinson, Edwin Arlington: Why He Was There

Much as he left it when he went from us

Here was the room again where he had been

So long that something oh him should be seen,

Or felt—and so it was. Incredulous,

I turned about, loath to be greeted thus,

And there he was in his old chair, serene

As ever, and as laconic as lean

As when he lived, and as cadaverous.

Calm as he was of old when we were young,

He sat there gazing at the pallid flame

Before him. "And how far will this go on?"

I thought. He felt the failure of my tongue,

And smiled: "I was not here until you came;

And I shall not be here when you are gone."

Ugyanolyan, mint mikor itt hagyott

Minket, szobája, hol annyi időt

Töltött, hogy látni és érezni őt

Kellene valahol - s tényleg, ahogy

Körülnéztem, hitetlenkedve, ott

Ült az öreg székben, derűs redők

S lakonikus mosoly, mint azelőtt,

Arcán, mely halálsápadtnak hatott.

Nézte, hogy ég előtte a fakó

Láng; ifjak voltunk, ő nyugodt, öreg,

Arra gondoltam, meddig lesz ez így?

Mosolygott, tudta, bennrekedt a szó:

"Nem voltam itt, amíg nem jöttetek,

S mikor elmentek, már nem leszek itt."