My Little Song (II)

For the country dear where but a crumb of bread

Up from the ground with reverence we heave,

Adoring thus the Boon by Heaven spread...

O Lord I grieve...

And for the land where storks nests to destroy

As a serious misdeed we do perceive,

For they provide us all with mirth and joy...

O Lord I grieve...

And for the country where each greeting nod

Is dear to Him in whom we do believe,

For meeting friends we say: «Praise be to God»...

O Lord I grieve...

But there is also something else I miss,

That’s something different, equally naive;

Though I have no idea where that is...

O Lord I grieve...

And for the griefless time of thoughtlessness,

For those who never fancy to deceive,

And take each no for no and yes for yes...

O Lord I grieve...

And now who cares for me and for my woe

That even time so long may not relieve?

Not for my friendship, but it must be so...

O Lord I grieve...¹

Przypisy:

1. The original has: „I tak być musi, choć się tak nie stanie/Przyjaźni mojéj”. The relation of the „friendship” to the rest of the stanza is equally unclear as in this my rendering of it. [przypis redakcyjny]