Friday 27 March 2015

A favourite Tomas Tranströmer poem


Allegro

I’m playing Haydn after a black day
and feel a simple warmth in my hands.

The keys are willing. Gentle hammers strike.
The sound is green, lively and quiet.

The sound says that freedom exists
and that someone does not render unto Caesar.

I thrust my hands deep into my Haydn pockets
and imitate someone who gazes calmly at the world.

I hoist the Haydn flag – which means:
‘We won’t surrender. But want peace.’

The music is a glasshouse on the slope
where the stones fly, where the stones roll.

And the stones roll straight through
but each pane remains unbroken.

2 comments:

John Irons said...

A beautiful statement since Haydn is the most WYISWYG composer of them all.

John Irons said...

to hear the poem in swedish, with TT on the piano, go to here: http://channel.louisiana.dk/video/tomas-transtr%C3%B6mer-music-says-freedom-exists