Christmas song or Free translation in depth of time

4-D: Four-Dimensional Poems
2006

translated by Sakis Kyratzis

Christmas nine years old Jingle bells, jingle bells Under the christmas tree Jingle al the way I’m reading “Professor Brainstorm’s mad inventions” Oh what fun it is to ride Bugs Bunny on TV Jingle bells, jingle bells From the room next door discernible sounds of my mother (41 years old) my father (51) my brother (14) And me Oh what fun it is to ride gathering warmth In a one-horse open sleigh since outside the window the night was quiet then, and snow was always falling

even when it wasn’t 1

 

1 TRANSLATION OF THIS FORGOTTEN LANGUAGE: Thirty four years old, Christmas, under the christmas tree, Jingle bells, jingle bells, “Mum, I’ve noticed recently that you’re out of breath when you climb the stairs…”, ”No”, she says, “I’m fine”, “Ok”, I say, “I’m not saying you’re not fine, it’s just that, well, the mother of a friend, you know, Evi, she was climbing the stairs with the shopping last year and she was out of breath, and her husband dragged her willy nilly to the doctor ­– just like you, she didn’t want to go at all – and he told her you have a blocked valve, Jingle bells, you should be operated in spring, but in the meantime please do not let anything worry you, it is dangerous to let things worry you, it’s a good thing you came, jingle all the way, you could have died unexpectedly, your heart could have failed you just like that. Do you understand, mum? That’s why I’m saying that maybe we should go to the doctor, just in case it’s blocked and it needs replacing, I hope I didn’t upset you”. “I’m sixty six”, she answers, “what difference does it make? Will you allow me not to accept your offer? My sweet boy, I don’t mind dying unexpected, I’m tired of always expecting; don’t you worry, that’s all I care for, but come, jingle bells, come to the window, look how lovely it is outside – with or without snow, look what a silent night, how wonderfully quiet,

how quiet is the night”

   4-D: Four-Dimensional Poems, Gavrielides Publications, Athens 2006 

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