CZESLAW M ILOSZ
Slowly, ca utio usly, now w hen des ti ny is fulfill ed I enter the scenes
of th e bygo ne time,
O f m y century, in w hi ch, and no t in any other, I was ordered to be
bo rn , to work , and to leave a trace.
Those Catho lic ladies existed , after all , and if I return ed th ere now,
identi cal but w ith anoth er co nscio usness, I woul d look intensely at
th eir faces, tryin g to prevent their fa ding away.
Also, ca rriages and rUl1lps o f ho rses ill ul1lin ated by lightnin g o r by
th e pulsa tin g fl ow o f di stant artill ery.
C hilllneyless huts, sl1lo ke bill owing o n th eir
roof~,
and wide sandy
roads in pin e fo res ts.
Countries and citi es that Ill us t remai n w itho ut name, for how can I
explain w hy and how Illany times th ey changed th eir bann ers and
embl em s:>
Ea rly we rece ive a ca ll , yet it remain s in col1lprehensible, and o nly
late do we di scove r how obedient we were.
The rive r ro lls its waters pas t, as it di d lo ng ago, th e church o f
St. Jacob, I am th ere togeth er w ith m y foo li shn ess, w hi ch
IS
shameful , but had I been w iser it would not have helped.
Now I know fooli shn ess is necessary ill all o ur designs, so that th ey
are rea li zed , awkwa rdly and in compl etely.
And thi s river, together w ith heaps of garbage o n its banks, w ith the
beginning of pollutio n, flows thro ugh m y youth , a warning agains t
th e longing fo r idea l places on the ea rth.
Yet, th ere, o n th at river, I experienced full happin ess, a ravishment
beyond any tho ught o r concern , still las tin g in m y body.
Just like th e happiness by th e small river o f m y childhood , in a
park w hose oa ks and lindens were to be cut down by the w ill o f
barbaro us co nqu ero rs.
I bl ess you, rivers, I pro no unce your names in the way m y mo th er
pro no un ced th em , w ith respect ye t tenderly.
149
