Echappe De L'esclavage De La Mer. (Translation) . Poem by Michael Walker
Echappe De L'esclavage De La Mer. (Translation) .
Mon corps scelle dans une vague de pleine mer
d'un mouvement fort et lent aux cavernes calmes balaye
ou aucun vent ne soufflait mais toutes les creatures dormaient pour toujours
ou meme la saute de courant en rafales oublia de divaguer;
Moi en m'efforcant pris au piege dans une caverne qui ne capitulait
sans defense je fus soumis a des formes qui rampaient
autour du sable silencieux qui sautait en haut brusquement
epuisees d'un jailissement rapide ou des fantomes fugitives se deplacaient:
Jusqu'a ce que de longues journees affreuses eussent passe
je me deplacai d'une facon monotone a chaque houle changeante
le corps rigide allant a la derive dans une petite espace
autour de l'ecaille froide et aretee et formee par l'ocean
jusqu'a perdre l'espoir de la lumiere: a mon visage cependant
apres des journees mornes je sentis encore le soleil.
-' Out from Sea-Bondage'. R.A. K. Mason(1905-1971) .
'Classic New Zealand Poets in Performance', edited by Jack Ross and Jan Kemp, pp.8,9.
He was losing hope of ever seeing the light again, confined in a small space which was like a shell. Yet after so many dreary days, 'I felt again the sun'. He survived against the sea because he kept striving and did not lose hope. I think that his escape is like an extendedmetaphor for life, when things get really tough. You survive or you do not. Just like the boys in Thailand who were rescued from an underground cave or mine.
My body seals in a wave of open sea of a strong and slow movement. No wind is blowing but all creatures are sleeping forever. This is a very thought provoking poem well penned and nicely translated by your kind self. Thank you very much for sharing this lovely work.10
congratulations, Michael. A difficult work to translate, I bet.
It was more difficult than most for sure. Thanks for your thoughts.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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8/29/2026 8:45:22 PM # rel_20260827T145718Z_a0f1bd3
Yes, it is the will-power which sustains our hope and defenses during trying circumstances. The idea of ' 'fleeting phantoms' is fantastic. Thai rescue operation is aptly recalled here. Thanks a lot.