THE CHILD
To the rock Prometheus lay bound.
A child went out in the early morning hour.
'Stop, child, and here behold
man's friend bound in iron
for all the good he did!'
But the child, frightened
by the words' greatness, the eyes' defiance,
crept past with a prayer to Zeus
away to gentlest games. - -
I would follow you silently, where you go.
The wise and the children, they play their way to
that which in heaven is hid.
Translated into English by David McDuff in "Karin Boye: Complete poems".
Swedish original
Copyright © 2005:
Translation from Swedish into English: David McDuff
Published with the permission of:
David McDuff, translation.
May and Hans Mehlin, Layout.
For more information, please visit the website of David McDuff and his own pages with the translations.