The Bloody Sonnets #20

Adaptation of Krvavé sonety.

Welcome to my series of adapting Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav’s The Bloody Sonnets into free-verse. This is the twentieth of thirty-two sonnets.

Following the adaptation, I invite you to read some reflections on the poem.

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If only, if only -
     every nation would gratefully mourn
     its losses, 
     its graves, unmarked,
     in the Valley of Josaphat,
then this suffering is but a gate —

steps on a rocky path of bone
leading to a new peaceful golden age,
without today's turmoil 
     of vice and malice,
they would even thank God;

being certain the burden 
     of iron and blood
cast off from the shoulders of man, 
     forever.
No longer a slave to foreign glory
but free to himself, 
     diligent and honest.
Running with his own kind, 
     we could finally ask:
Who will win?
Who is first? 
Where is the goal?
Oh, may it be the palm branch at the end!

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The original is in the Slovak language, which was originally written in 1914:

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Veď keby, keby! — Vďačne oplakal
by každý národ svoje straty, hroby,
ichž množstvo mu zem Jozafatom robí;
to všetko povážil by za portál,

za stupne, po nichž, tvrdších bár i skál,
do novej ľze vojsť, šťastnej, zlatej doby,
bez dneška rmutu, nerestí i zloby;
ba za dôpust by Bohu chválu vzdal,

si istý súc, že železa i krvi
ohromnú nošu navždy šmaril z pliec;
nebude cudzej sláve za ostrvy;
sám svoj vždy, snaživec i poctivec,
pobeží s druhmi: lepší kto? kto prvý,
kde cieľ…? — Ach, kiež to palmou nakoniec!…

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Reflections

The Valley of Josaphat, Book of Joel 3:2

I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will put them on trial
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.

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Here’s the link to the previous sonnet.

The entire collection can be found here as well.