Dear Quintus | version finale
poème traduit:
Drogi Quintusie
-
Michał Zabłocki
Replying your letter
Which is the proof that you trust me
It is also an interesting contribution for the studies of the present
Allow me to remind you of Papias' book of the female race
Which was discussed by us twenty five years ago
Enchanted then with the cult of Mother Earth
We took his sentences with great reserve
But the time has proved them to be true
The cult of child-bearing,fertility and all this connected with nature
Including the sanity of our soma, and - probably - of our psyche
That cult can never screen the cult of High Sky
That is - everything which is better, further and mysterious
Great ideals have always been, still are, and will be beyond the reach of sane animals
They have never been dreamt off by the most fertile of them
If flesh did not follow the spirit, we, the Romans
Would never rule half of the world
If a man sets off and a woman does not follow him
It is very good and it should be this way
As gold is tested in very hot containers
Those were precious pieces of metal but must have been burnt in fire
Much did they understand of life in the end
That is why they want to follow you leaving everything
But there are two details which make those efforts fruitless:
Firstly, time passes by and it never comes back
As you were inclined to give each of them a chance
Now you are disappointed, it is hard to find a feeling
Secondly, if a woman wanted to start a journey and persist in it
She should bow with you to the High Sky Gods
Believe me, none of them is ready for such a thing
They want only to get their lost chances
In fact, they did not change at all
They do not pray every day for their improvement
Nor do they give daily accounts of their deeds
As it is postulated by our philosophers
They fight rather for the peace which they find
When they rememeber that you were close to them
Perhaps I am wrong, Quintus dear?
I would like to discuss with you again of good Papias
Strolling along the Quirinal
Alas, Africa is scarcely populated with the educated
And I am here destined for local gods
Which is the proof that you trust me
It is also an interesting contribution for the studies of the present
Allow me to remind you of Papias' book of the female race
Which was discussed by us twenty five years ago
Enchanted then with the cult of Mother Earth
We took his sentences with great reserve
But the time has proved them to be true
The cult of child-bearing,fertility and all this connected with nature
Including the sanity of our soma, and - probably - of our psyche
That cult can never screen the cult of High Sky
That is - everything which is better, further and mysterious
Great ideals have always been, still are, and will be beyond the reach of sane animals
They have never been dreamt off by the most fertile of them
If flesh did not follow the spirit, we, the Romans
Would never rule half of the world
If a man sets off and a woman does not follow him
It is very good and it should be this way
As gold is tested in very hot containers
Those were precious pieces of metal but must have been burnt in fire
Much did they understand of life in the end
That is why they want to follow you leaving everything
But there are two details which make those efforts fruitless:
Firstly, time passes by and it never comes back
As you were inclined to give each of them a chance
Now you are disappointed, it is hard to find a feeling
Secondly, if a woman wanted to start a journey and persist in it
She should bow with you to the High Sky Gods
Believe me, none of them is ready for such a thing
They want only to get their lost chances
In fact, they did not change at all
They do not pray every day for their improvement
Nor do they give daily accounts of their deeds
As it is postulated by our philosophers
They fight rather for the peace which they find
When they rememeber that you were close to them
Perhaps I am wrong, Quintus dear?
I would like to discuss with you again of good Papias
Strolling along the Quirinal
Alas, Africa is scarcely populated with the educated
And I am here destined for local gods
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