Lullaby

Gosh, this takes me back... I was proud to be a member of the trio (the others being Miguel Farias and Jennifer Broughton) who had started the Arty Farty Society at Jesus College (the name was Jim Williams' idea). Anyway, it was a great, very welcoming place to read poetry and perform music. We also had college staff, including Mr. Banana Man from the kitchen, now sadly gone, performing their eminently enjoyable pieces.

Anyway, enough nostalgia. This is one of the poems I translated for them, Attila József's Lullaby. (Balázs, Hungarian for Blaise, is pronounced bah-lage, a bit like bagage in French, but with an l; "ah" is a sound between English 'o' and 'a'):

The sky closes her blue eyes,

The house too, says good-night,

A quilt covers the sleeping fields --

Go to sleep, my dear Balázs

The bug and the wasp lie asleep,

Buzzing stops, they no longer fly,

Their heads resting on their feet,

Go to sleep, my dear Balázs

Sleeps too, the weary tram, and

Whilst it slumbers from its dash

From its dream, it tinkles a bit

Go to sleep, my dear Balázs

The coat sleeps on the chair,

On it sleeps the tear

It will stop growing tonight,

Go to sleep, my dear Balázs

Getting a rest are the ball and the whistle

The forest, the caves, all kinds of surprise,

Even the sugar rests in sweet bliss,

Go to sleep, my dear Balázs

Space and Distance you will receive

Like glass marbles, a giant

You will be, only: Close your eyes,

And go to sleep, my dear Balázs

A fireman you will be, a soldier strong and brave!

A shepherd chasing wolves from a hide

You see, Mum's no longer awake

Go to sleep, my dear Balázs

And, appropriately enough, Kinga is busy trying to put Leo to bed..