The Wish

Oh let me live properly
and properly one day to die
so that I move next to reality
in bad as in good.
And let me be still
and respect what I see,
so that must be that
and nothing more.

If from my long life
one day was left,
then I would seek the most beautiful thing
that life on Earth has.
The most beautiful thing on Earth
is honesty,
but it makes loneliness into life
and reality.

So is the wide world
a leaf of a lady's mantle
and in the bowl rests
a clear drop of water.
The only still drop
is the apple of life's eye.
Oh make me worthy of seeing inside it!
Oh make me pure!


Translated into English by Jenny Nunn in "To a friend".

Swedish original



Copyright © 1997:
Translation from Swedish into English: Jenny Nunn

Published with the permission of:
Jenny Nunn, translation.
May and Hans Mehlin, Layout.