Hanako J. Soncini

Translation of Zachary Richard's poem "1^er août, Section III (extrait)."
Traduction du poème "1er août, Section III (extrait)" de Zachary Richard.

August 1st, Section III (excerpt)

It is too hot for
        This early August, tired
Trees in a sultry air of July.
        Leaves turning yellow, energy
Reverting to land.
        Except for the indomitable oaks,
A shelter for the singing cicadas
        And for spiders sculpting
Their webs. In their branches,
        Ants swaying
At a delicate pace, an end of summer ballet dance.

Like birds, I hide myself under the leaves
        Looking for shade.
Watching that sun, white and merciless,
        Asking withered questions,
How, through evolution and persecution,
        Through life and death, how were my bones, my blood,
My eyes, my balls, my head
        Able to get here? Tied from my ancestors
To the first itinerant human beings, to the first fish
        Being immersed in the paramount vessel,
Tied from my arteries to the first hint
        Of the first idea in
The middle of an afternoon on a path
        Starting from the countryside in the south-west of Louisiane
And ending God knows where, tied by the choices of my
        Heritage, scattered from behind as well as
From the front, with many accidents or with a contorted destiny.
        Saddened by the human's arrogance,
Soothed by the beauty of the fields,
        Of the trees.

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