Cornelis van der Wal was RIXT-poet of the month November 2018
You can read his original Frisian poems of that month here.
One of them – hout en snie / wood and snow – is published here in translation.
Wood and Snow
To write in Frisian is like the autumn,
the hair of dozing teachers tumbles
over pages of grey paper, the wooden pen
moulders slowly. So, that’s nature.
To write in Frisian is like kicking the bucket.
Poet runs like a white rat in winter’s wheel
and cannot escape. He’s writing with snow.
The literary Spring isn’t coming, the weatherman reports.
© Cornelis van der Wal Translation: Trevor Scarse
Hout en Snie
Yn it Frysk te skriuwen liket op ‘e hjerst,
it hier fan slûgjende skoalmasters rûgelet
op blêden griis papier, de houtene pinne
fermôget stadich. It is dus de natoer.
Yn it Frysk te skriuwen liket op stjerren.
Dichter draaft as wite rôt yn it winterrêd
om en kin net fuort. Hy skriuwt mei snie.
De literêre Maitiid komt net mear, seit Pyt.
© Cornelis van der Wal