Nyk de Vries Poems

Het ergste wordt altijd overschaduwd door iets wat nog weer erger is. Nadat haar been was overreden, hoorden we Hansje nooit meer over haar koortslip. Maar het gezeur zat in de familie en toen ik haar in de Alpen over de paden reed, zag ik haar hand toch weer richting mond gaan. Vliegensvlug dook ik naar voren en voor ik het wist kusten we elkaar, zo hevig als ik nooit eerder iemand had gekust. Een bijzonder moment, daar in die Alpen, al werd het helaas verknald. Juist op dat ogenblik keerde Jezus Christus terug op aarde.
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The worst is always overshadowed by something even worse. After her leg got run over, we never heard another word from Hansje about her cold sores. But whinging ran in the family and, pushing her along the Alpine paths, I saw her hand creeping back up to her mouth. Quick as lightning, I leapt forward and before I knew it we were kissing each other, more passionately than I had ever kissed anyone before. A special moment, there in the Alps, even if, unfortunately, it came to nothing. In that very instant Jesus returned to Earth.
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In donkere wein kaam oanriden en in lyts famke stapte út. Se krige in taske oanrikt en fleurich ferklaaid as clowntsje rûn se it skoalplein oer. Yn 'e skoalle die lykwols bliken dat karnaval pas oare wike wie. It famke wie as iennichste sminkt en de hiele moarn moast se treasteleas gûle. Tsjin trijen kaam har mem om har wer op te heljen. Dy skrok raar doe't se it ferhaal hearde en wiidweidich en mei triennen yn 'e eagen fertelde se wat der dy moarn allegear ferkeard gien wie. Se hie miskien mar better swije kind. Dingen útlizze, dat kinne we allegear hiel goed.
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A dark car drove up and a small girl dressed as a clown got out. She took her bag and crossed the schoolyard. But at school it turned out that carnival wasn't until next week. The girl was the only one with face paint and she cried inconsolably all morning. Around three her mother came back to pick her up. She was shocked to hear what had happened and, with tears in her eyes, related in detail everything that had gone wrong that morning. She'd probably have done better to keep it to herself. Explaining things, that's something we're all very good at.
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Lisa seach frijwat soarchlik en even tocht ik dat se wat belangryks fertelle woe, mar foarby de bistetún wie se al wer fleurich. Wy rûnen troch nei it sintrum en dy jûns dienen we mei oan in dûnswedstryd dy't we ta ús fernuvering glânsryk wûnen. It wie in knotsgek festyn. Der stie in iepen wein klear en nei in bolbjirken tocht waarden we ôflevere op 'e Plaza St. Ana. Dêr reinde it konfetty en op in stuit lei ik mei de bokaal yn in fontein en besocht tsien minuten de holle ûnder wetter te hâlden. Ik wit ek net krekt mear wêrom't ik dat die. It like op dat momint it bêste om te dwaan.
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Lisa looked very worried and for a moment I thought she had something important to say, but past the zoo she cheered up again. We walked on to the centre of town and in the evening we took part in a dance competition, which to our surprise we won brilliantly. The celebrations were crazy. An open car was waiting and after a wild drive they dropped us at the Plaza St. Ana, where it was raining confetti. At some stage I found myself in the fountain with the winner's cup, trying to keep my head underwater for ten minutes. I'm not sure anymore why exactly. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
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Hy ried mar om op syn motorfyts en noait wist ik wat him troch de holle spile. Op in dei folge ik him nei syn hutte yn 'e bosk. Ik rûn op it hokje ta en treau de doar mei kracht iepen. Foar my lei langút achteroer op 'e houten flier de motorman. Hy seach op, kaam stadich oerein en stoarre my oan mei in frjemd read gesicht. Ik woe wat sizze, mar foar't ik dêrta komme koe, ferdwûn de motorman sûnder oait werom te kearen. Ik naam myn yntrek yn it hûske en wenne dêr úteinlik goed twintich jier. It is wier wat se sizze: elk nij hûs moat better wêze as it foarige.
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He rode around on his motorbike and I never knew what was going on in his head. One day I followed him to his cottage in the woods. I walked up to the tiny house, barged in and found him lying on his back on the wooden floor. He looked up, rose slowly and stared at me with a strange red face. I wanted to say something, but before I got it out, Motorman disappeared, never to return. I moved into the cottage and ended up living there for more than twenty years. It's true what they say: each new house has to be better than the previous one.
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Ik doek yn in baai. Ik doek yn in baai dêr't it wetter sa troebel fan wie dat ik gjin hân foar eagen seach. Ik doek djipper. Ik swom oant ik ljocht ûntduts, my omheech joech en boppe kaam yn in lytse mar. Op 'e kant siet in man. Syn hier wie griis, de eagen hie er ticht. De hannen hâlde er gear yn 'e skurte en pas doe't ik hiel tichtby wie, seach er op. Ik leau net dat er skrok. Hy wie ek net tryst. Hy sei: ‘Dit is no wiisheid. In moai hûs sil ik der net fan keapje. In goeie wein likemin. Mar op in dei hoopje ik der in krab fan te tekenjen. De moaiste krab dy't men oait yn 'e wrâld seach.'
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I dived into a bay. I dived into a bay whose water was so murky that I couldn't see my hand in front of me. I dived deeper. I swam until I spotted light, moved towards it and surfaced in a small lake. A man was sitting on the shore. His hair was grey, his eyes were shut. His hands were clasped together in his lap and he didn't look up until I was very close. I don't think he was startled. He wasn't sad either. He said, ‘This, then, is truth. It won't buy me a house. Not even a nice car. But one day I hope that it will be enough for me to draw a crab. The most beautiful crab the world has ever seen.'
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