Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Nubibus atris

Stars hidden
by black clouds
can shed
no light.

If the violent South Wind
turning over the sea
should stir up the swell,
a wave, glassy
just now like
clear days,
soon, filthy with mud
freed from below*
blocks our sight

and the river
that
often stops still wanders
flowing down
from the high mountains
often is blocked [lit., stands still]
by the barrier of rock
loosened from the cliff.

You, too, if you wish
to see the truth
with clear sight [or by means of a clear light],
to take the track
with a straight path:
push away joys
push away fear
put hope to flight
nor let grief be present.

The mind is clouded
and bound by ties
when these things rule.

*resoluto caeno-- with mud having been loosened/freed, presumably from the bottom of the sea

No comments:

Post a Comment