(Untitled painting by Livonian Latvian painter Jāņ Bēļța (1893-1946). Only about 18 of his paintings
(Untitled painting by Livonian Latvian painter Jāņ Bēļța (1893-1946). Only about 18 of his paintings are currently known) Silver GraveI wade in the wavy silver shallows,Pearls and amber roll beneath my feet,I squeeze the very silver with my toes.I wade further into the silver floodplainsHow cool the silver is, how gentle it feels!The silver already now reaches my knees!And higher it climbs around my limbsNow silvery ivy twistingAround my pale thigh-columns it winds.Up to my burning chestFrom my hips is a pillarBlanketed now in silver waves.Already my red blood like icy frostTurns to silver, flowing through my fleshMy heart thumping like a silversmith’s hammer.The silver rides higher, splashes thrown,It closes my eyelidsSprinkling eyelashes with silver.I am swayed by the silver lullaby -Lifted up on the water’s surfaceOnly the two gulls of my palms. -Soon they too will be swallowed upAnd a white waterlily aloneWill grow on my silver grave.- Aspazija (1865-1943) (From her collection: In The Time Of Asters - Autumn Poems, 1928)My translation from the Latvian; see Keep Reading for the Latvian original.SUDRABA KAPSEs brienu pa viļņu sudraba grīdu,Zem kājām man pērles un dzintars rit,Es sudrabu pašu kājām mīdu.Es brienu tālāk pa sudraba paliem:Cik sudrabvēsi, cik maigi man tiek!Jausudrabs man sniedzas līdz ceļu galiem!Un augstāk jau apvij stīdzenītesNo sudrabotām efejāmAp baltām gūžu kolonnām vītes.Līdz krūšu sarkanām ugunsdegāmNo gūžu baltām kolonnāmSedz viļņi visu ar sudrabsegām.Jau sarkans asins par sudrabu salis,Kā tekošs sudrabs man miesās rit,Sirdsāmurīts sit kā sudrabkalis.Kāpj sudrabs augstāk un mētā šļakstusUn acuvākus man cieti slēdz,Un pieber ar sudrabu acu plakstus.Un mani iešūpo sudraba aijās —Uz ūdens virsu tik paceļasVēl manu plaukstu divas kaijas.—... Sen arī tās jau norītas tapa —Un baltā ūdensroze vienAug virsū uz mana sudraba kapa.- Aspazija -- source link
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