Berenice Poem by Hendrik Rost
Berenice
They give their boats the names
of unruly daughters who strain at the leash
to dance with the wind.
A storm is gathering if one believes
what yesterday promised,
visibility was so good it got lost somewhere
like some interest never satisfied,
a fisherman bales water from the bilge
of the open hull in order not to have
to spend even a single day on land,
where holidaymakers wait to see what's to become of him.
Translated by Hans-Christian Oeser and Gabriel Rosenstock
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
5/19/2024 9:44:16 AM # 1.0.0.1119
I had no idea boats could be named after daughters longing for liberation! The metaphor for that longing - DANCING WITH THE WIND - segues into a very real physical menace, namely, a storm at sea. But the fisherman is preparing to launch his boat despite the storm warnings. He has more in common with his unruly child: perhaps both need an experience outside the routine of their experience, with an element of danger to shake up the complacency..