Song of Myself

Jack Did as He Was Told by Jamie Heiden

The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains
of my gab and my loitering.

I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.

The last scud of day holds back for me,
It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the
shadow’d wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.

I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.


Primećena grabljivica kidiše i optužuje me, žali se
na moje brbljanje i dangubljenje.
Ja takođe nisam malo ukroćen, takođe sam neprevodiv,
Zvonim moj barbarski glasan uzvik preko krovova sveta.
Poslednji oblak dana se zadržava zbog mene,
On juri moju dopadljivost nad ostalima i istinu kao bilo koju
senku divljina,
On mi laska do izmaglice i sumraka.
Odlazim kao vazduh, tresem svoje bele lokne na odlazeće sunce,
širim svoju čulnost u vihor, i plovim u ukrašenoj odori.
Napuštam se prema prljavštini da raste iz trave koju volim,
Ako me ponovo hoćete pogledajte ispod đonova svojih čizama.
Jedva ćete znati ko sam i šta značim,
ali biću dobrog zdravlja za vas ipak,
I filtrirati i osnovati vašu krv.
Neuspeh da me uhvatite iz prve ohrabrite,
Izgubiti me na jednom mestu gledajte drugde,
Negde stojim čekajući na vas.

#52
by Walt Whitman

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *