“Post War Prayer,” A Dutch Poem by Tine Hertmans Translated by Hannie Rouweler
Post War Prayer
the future has begun
with long months
mined in time,
just tomorrow remains,
we prefer to be free from
worries while the hours
run further, past the
inertia of things
shall we sing, hope, beg,
that everything will not go so fast,
and peace forever
is anchored?
spare us from permanent destruction
and doom, reaching out for
what our heart desires
let us remember humbly
that not a single day on earth
ever returns
for none of us
naoorlogs gebed
de toekomst is begonnen
heeft lange maanden in de
tijd ontgonnen, er rest
ons enkel morgen,
prefereren vrij te zijn van
zorgen wijl de uren
verder hollen, voorbij de
inertie van dingen
zullen we zingen, hopen, smeken,
dat alles niet zo’n vaart zal
lopen en vrede zich voorgoed
verankerd weet?
stabilisatie van destructie
ons zal sparen van de
ondergang, ons reiken
wat ons hart begeert
laat ons in deemoed gedenken
dat geen enkele dag op aarde
voor geen van ons
ooit wederkeert
Tine Hertmans, born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1947, is an award-winning poet and author of short stories and children's books. She has published several poetry collections, and her poems are recorded in many anthologies. She has participated in important literary events, and radio, television, and newspapers have paid attention to her work. In her hometown of Destelbergen, she was appointed the first town poet in 2009. Titles poetry books: "The days are of cobwebs," "Garden of Eden," "The scent of fieldbindweed," and "Dancing in the Sunlight."
Hannie Rouweler, born in the Netherlands, Goor, on June 13, 1951, is a poet and translator living in Leusden since 2012. In 1988 she debuted with Raindrops on the Water. Since then, she has published about 40 volumes of poetry, including translations in foreign languages such as Polish, Romanian, Spanish, French, Norwegian, and English. Her poems altogether have been translated into 25 languages. She has studied painting and art history at the Art Academy in Belgium for five years. Hannie writes on diverse topics. She is a member of the Flemish Association of Poets and Writers (VVL, Antwerp).
