Chrysogonus' Translation #69 - from Lisa Brockwell's "Vase of Gerberas"

Vas Herbras

pada buku puisi Alice Oswald "Weeds and Wild Flower" 

(dengan ilustrasi oleh Jessica Greenman) 

Jangan tertipu sorakan kami.

Dibawah tata warna ini

kami masam. Kami benci hidup

dekat yang lain; kami masing-masing

angkuh. Kami benci disangka tampak

sama. Setiap salah satu dari kami

menggeliat dari ranting, kepala terlalu berat

bagi topangan ranting ramping hijau

saat ini, kami yang bertahan

memalingkan wajah dari yang lemah

dan kalah. Kami ingin engkau

membuang si jalang.

after Alice Oswald’s book of poems  Weeds and Wild Flowers

(with etchings by Jessica Greenman)

Don’t be fooled by our apparent cheer.

Underneath these blocks of colour

we are acid. We don’t like to live

so close together; each one of us

vain. We hate that you think we all look

the same. Whenever one of our number

bends at the stem, her head too heavy

for that slender green wand to hold

any longer, those of us remaining

avert our faces from what is weak

and defeated. We want you

to take the bitch away.