HERBERT, Zbigniew

The Envoy Of Mr Cogito

Go where those others went to the dark boundary

for the golden fleece of nothingness your last prize

go upright among those who are on their knees

among those with their backs turned and those toppled in the dust

you were saved not in order to live

you have little time you must give testimony

be courageous when the mind deceives you be courageous

in the final account only this is important

and let your helpless Anger be like the sea

whenever your hear the voice of the insulted and beaten

let you sister Scorn not leave you

for the informers executioners cowards - they will win

they will go to your funeral with relief will throw a lump of earth

the woodborer will write your smoothed-over biography

and do not forgive truly it is not in your power

to forgive in the name of those betrayed at dawn

beware however of unnecessary pride

keep looking at your clown's face in the mirror

repeat: I was called - weren't there better ones than I

beware of dryness of heart love the morning spring

the bird with an unknown name the winter oak

light on a wall the splendour of the sky

they don't need your warm breath

they are there to say: no one will console you

be vigilant - when the light on the mountains gives the sign- arise and go

as long as blood turns in the breast your dark star

repeat old incantations of humanity fables and legends

because this is how you will attain the good you will not attain

repeat great words repeat them stubbornly

like those crossing the desert who perished in the sand

and they will reward you with what they have at hand

with the whip of laughter with murder on a garbage heap

go because only in this way you will be admitted to the company of cold skulls

to the company of your ancestors: Gilgamesh Hector Roland

the defenders of the kingdom without limit and the city of ashes

Be faithful Go

Five Men

They take them out in the morning

to the stone courtyard

and put them against the wall

five men

two of them very young

the others middle-aged

nothing more

can be said about them

when the platoon

level their guns

everything suddenly appears

in the garish light

of obviousness

the yellow wall

the cold blue

the black wire on the wall

instead of a horizon

that is the moment

when the five senses rebel

they would gladly escape

like rats from a sinking ship

before the bullet reaches its destination

the eye will perceive the flight of the projectile

the ear record a steely rustle

the nostrils will be filled with biting smoke

a petal of blood will brush the palate

the touch will shrink and then slacken

now they lie on the ground

covered up to their eyes with shadow

the platoon walks away

their buttons straps

and steel helmets

are more alive

than those lying beside the wall

I did not learn this today

I knew it before yesterday

so why have I been writing

unimportant poems on flowers

what did the five talk of

the night before the execution

of prophetic dreams

of an escapade in a brothel

of automobile parts

of a sea voyage

of how when he had spades

he ought not to have opened

of how vodka is best

after wine you get a headache

of girls

of fruit

of life

thus one can use in poetry

names of Greek shepherds

one can attempt to catch the color of morning sky

write of love

and also

once again

in dead earnest

offer to the betrayed world

a rose