Notes for the Translation of an Ancient Fragment

Notes for the Translation of an Ancient Fragment

Notes for the Translation of an Ancient Fragment

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[She?] pale curtain
fire behind it
scent of split rock
[She] as wind
slendered in grass
[She] soft path down which
[Unknown refrain]
 
Roughened blue
[of eyes, of waters?]
Steel [of her voice, of weather?]…
Apple [her skin?
its white cliffs/sting?]
the cricket [cricket] climbing
All this! [O She!]
[Unknown refrain]
 
Sea so blue
[a handful, blue]
Those glass lips say
I shouldn’t say this
her blouse slips
dawn [or down]
Sound [verb] with wide-eyed hands
[Unknown refrain]
 
She throws [we throw?]
live flowers on fire
they [flowers or limbs?]
blend smooth as flames
Though high stars circling
will [how long how long?]
pick our bones clean
[Unknown refrain]

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

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Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

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