An Anthology of Czechoslovak Literature/The Daughter's Curse
The Daughter’s Curse
Daughter mine?
Why has such grief come over thee?
Blithesome it was thy wont to be,
Now thy mirth has taken flight.
Mother mine.
A poor, wee dovelet’s life I’ve taken,—
It was a nestling, lone, forsaken,
And it was as snow so white.
Daughter mine.
This no dovelet could have been,
A change has come upon thy mien,
And thy gaze is all awry.
Mother mine.
O, ’twas a tiny babe I slew.
’Twas my own poor suckling, too,
With pangs of sorrow I could die.
Daughter mine?
And what is thy purpose now?
How for the guilt atone, and how
Canst thou the wrath of God appease!
Mother mine.
I shall go that flower to seek,
Which can quell much guilt, and eke
Throes of heated blood can ease.
Daughter mine?
And where wilt thou this flower discover?
Where, O where the wide world over,
In what garden does it grow?
Mother mine.
Beyond that gate above the mound,
Where a pole with a nail is found,
And a hempen gallows-rope below.
Daughter mine?
And what is thy message to the swain,
Who sought our dwelling oft and again,
And did take his joy with thee?
Mother mine,
Blessing unto him I send,—
A worm in his soul until his end,
For basely thus betraying me.
Daughter mine?
And what to thy mother wilt thou render,
She whose love for you was tender,
And who dearly cherished thee?
Mother mine.
A curse to thee is my bequest,
That in the grave thou find no rest,
For the wayward will thou gavest me.
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
| Original: |
This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
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| 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 |
