After all

.



(Kookaburra, king of the bush!)

Meestal zet ik hier korte gedichten. Meestal vertaal ik ze ook, als ze in een andere taal geschreven zijn.
Maar nu heb ik een mooi, lang gedicht gevonden. En ik vertaal het niet.
Het gedicht is van Henry Lawson. Een Australische dichter, die het eind 1800 schreef.
Toen hij in 1922 overleed, stonden er duizenden mensen langs de route van de rouwauto voor "The Poet of the People".


Dit is Henry Lawson:

En dit is het gedicht:


AFTER  ALL


The brooding ghosts of Australian night have gone from the bush and town;
My spirit revives in the morning breeze,
though it died when the sun went down;
The river is high and the stream is strong,
and the grass is green and tall,
And I fain would think that this world of ours is a good world after all.


The light of passion in dreamy eyes, and a page of truth well read,
The glorious thrill in a heart grown cold of the spirit I thought was dead,
A song that goes to a comrade's heart, and a tear of pride let fall --
And my soul is strong! and the world to me is a grand world after all!


Let our enemies go by their old dull tracks,
and theirs be the fault or shame
(The man is bitter against the world who has only himself to blame) ;
Let the darkest side of the past be dark, and only the good recall;
For I must believe that the world, my dear, is a kind world after all.


It well may be that I saw too plain, and it may be I was blind;
But I'll keep my face to the dawning light,
though the devil may stand behind!
Though the devil may stand behind my back, I'll not see his shadow fall,
But read the signs in the morning stars of a good world after all.


Rest, for your eyes are weary, girl -- you have driven the worst away --
The ghost of the man that I might have been is gone from my heart to-day;
We'll live for life and the best it brings till our twilight shadows fall;
My heart grows brave, and the world, my girl, is a good world after all.


Henry Lawson 1867-1922

De herhalingen aan het einde van de verzen vind ik mooi:


is a good world after all
is a grand world after all
is a kind world after all
is a good world after all


Dat spreekt me aan, omdat ik vind dat iedereen zich wel eens wat positiever over de wereld mag uiten. Waar je je aandacht op vestigt, dat groeit. Vestig je aandacht op een betere wereld.
Dat is wat ik zou willen.

Henry Lawson's pen...

is a good world after all

is a grand world after all

is a kind world after all

is a good world after all

.