Anne Carson. Vertaling in Afrikaans
Tuesday, October 6th, 2015Anne Carson. Vertaal deur/tr. by Maria Snyman
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God se Geregtigheid
Anne Carson
In die begin was daar dae eenkant gesit vir verskeie take.
Op die dag wat Hy geregtigheid moes skep
het God besig geraak met die maak van ‘n naaldekoker
en tred verloor met tyd.
Dit was omtrent twee duim lank
met turkoois kolletjies al langs sy rug af soos Lauren Bacall.
God het gekyk hoe hy sy klein draadelmbogies buig
toe hy besig raak met die skoonmaak van die transparante kas van sy kop.
Die oogballe gemonteer op die kas
het dié en daardie kant toe roteer
soos hy elke hoekie poleer.
Binne-in die kas
wat glaserig swart was soos die vensters van ‘n onderdorpse bank
kon God die masjienerie sien gons
en Hy het gekyk hoe die gegons
die hele ent langs turkoois kolletjies afreis tot by die punt van die stert
en daarvandaan asemhaal as lig.
Sy swart vlerke het in en uit getril.
(God's justice, Anne Carson. Vert. deur Maria Snyman)
God’s Justice
By Anne Carson
In the beginning there were days set aside for various tasks.
On the day He was to create justice
God got involved in making a dragonfly
and lost track of time.
It was about two inches long
with turquoise dots all down its back like Lauren Bacall.
God watched it bend its tiny wire elbows
as it set about cleaning the transparent case of its head.
The eye globes mounted on the case
rotated this way and that
as it polished every angle.
Inside the case
which was glassy black like the windows of a downtown bank
God could see the machinery humming
and He watched the hum
travel all the way down turquoise dots to the end of the tail
and breathe off as light.
Its black wings vibrated in and out.
(From: “Glass, Irony and God”, Anne Carson. 1995)