Rose Ausländer, "So That No Light Would Be There To Love Us"

SO THAT NO LIGHT WOULD BE THERE TO LOVE US

And so they came
with shrill flags and guns.
They shot down all the stars. They shot down the moon
so that no light would be there above us
so that no light would be there to love us.

And then we buried the sun --
it was an endless eclipse of the sun.


ROSE AUSLANDER (1901-1988)

Translated from the German by Eavan Boland



Damit kein Licht uns liebe

Sie kamen
mit scharfen Fahnen und Pistolen
schossen alle sterne und den Mond ab
Damit kein Licht uns bliebe
Damit kein Licht uns liebe

Da begruben wir die Sonne
Es war eine unendliche Sonnenfinsternis