First the Dog, Zbigniew Herbert

to Laika

So first the faithful dog will go 
and after it a pig or ass 
through the black grass will beat a track 
along it will the first man steal 
who with iron hand will smother 
on his glass brow a drop of fear 

so first the dog honest mongrel 
which has never abandoned us 
dreaming of earthly lamps and bones 
will fall asleep in its whirling kennel
its warm blood boiling drying away 

but we behind the dog and second 
dog which guides us on a leash 
we with the astronauts’ white cane 
awkwardly we bump into stars 
we see nothing we hear nothing 
we beat with our fists on the dark ether 
on all the wavelengths is a whining 

everything we can carry on board 
through the cinders of dark worlds 
name of man scent of apple 
acorn of sound quarter of colour 
should all be saved for our return 
so we can find the route in an instant 
when the blind dog leading us 
barks at the earth as at the moon

Translated by Alissa Valles

  1. itsthom reblogged this from kathleenjoy
  2. ekstasis reblogged this from kathleenjoy and added:
    thing to reach Earth’s orbit was Sputnik 1,...big metal sphere
  3. thegirlwhothinktoomuch reblogged this from sharingpoetry
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