Sunday, September 08, 2019

Karel Hynek Mácha: Máj (European Spring)

There is a diary haunting Prague"


Visioni di Praga nel mondo di Jaroslav Seifert. Di Francesco Jappelli

Malá Strana, Břetislavova 1901 – 1918           … udii un leggero picchiare sulla finestra … Il mio compagno di banco1 mi…


Byl pozdní večer - první máj -
večerní máj - byl lásky čas.
Hrdliččin zval ku lásce hlas,
kde borový zaváněl háj.
O lásce šeptal tichý mech;
květoucí strom lhal lásky žel,
svou lásku slavík růži pěl,
růžinu jevil vonný vzdech.
Jezero hladké v křovích stinných
zvučelo temně tajný bol,
břeh objímal je kol a kol;
a slunce jasná světů jiných
bloudila blankytnými pásky,
planoucí tam co slzy lásky.
Late evening, on the first of May -
The twilit May - the time of love.
Meltingly called the turtle-dove,
Where rich and sweet pinewoods lay.
Whispered of love the mosses trail,
The flowering tree as sweetly lied,
The rose's fragrant sigh replied
To love-songs of the nightingale.
In shadowy woods the burnished lake
Darkly complained a secret pain,
By circling shores embraced again;
And heaven's clear sun leaned down to take
A road astray in azure deeps,
Like burning tears the lover weeps.





Memories of Prague
I remember
Streets coated with the footsteps of millions of people…
Flowers, shaded by a blue stripped awning.
There was a cafe next to a fountain,
Where smoke from a long white cigarette
Filled the avenue and clung to strangers.
Our coats blocked the wind from pressing at us
And chilling our already cold hearts…
Wandering aimlessly in the shadows of the tall
Stone buildings surrounding us. 
Chocolate in the windows…
Tourists in the streets.
It was cold but I wondered if the sun burnt their
Faces as it did mine.
Live music…
Men covered in gold paint,
Their hats filled with coins in front of them.
Children grabbing the attention of their mothers.
Stairs…
A violin…
Steaming tea. 
 Red and white speeded by on a metal track.
Boat motors hummed
And seagulls dove to steal the crumbs of bread thrown to swans.
A statue, a man, a joyous memory.

Karel Hynek Mácha (1810 - 1836) 26 years old  was a great Czech Romantic poet and author of the epic poem Máj (May). The poem, written in a remarkably beautiful style, tells about the tragic love of two young people and has become a poetic masterpiece of the Czech Romantic period and Czech literature in general


   

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