An Anthology of Czechoslovak Literature/October Sonnet

For other English-language translations of this work, see October Sonnet.

October Sonnet

ONLY an anguished melody still flows
From earth where hazes spread a veiling net . . .
In every nook the faded beauty stows
Her faded blooms, lest springtide she forget.

But the desire, as ere to gladden, glows
Within; unchilled her inmost ardour yet,
And gaudy sashes round her waist she throws
And asters in her tresses she has set.

Fain would she laugh as in her bygone days—
But ’mid her wrinkles laughter takes to flight
And from them only pity, pity cries. . . .

Divining this, perchance she has surmise:
A hundred tears each morn her garb displays
Shed in the anguish of her sleepless night.
Four Books of Sonnets (1892)

This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1942, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 82 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 54 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse