Kear

wêrom fregest my net
hoelang’t ik al wachtsje
delset oan de wei
wylst de loft yn ’e brân stiet
ik wachtsje op dy
yn it koar fan de tonger
ik wachtsje op dy

ik sjong as in slaaf
ik wit dochs wol better
ik learde al myn lessen
dronk wiisheid as wetter
en noch gean ik troch hjirmei
lang, langer, langst
wachtsjend op wûnders
en triljend fan eangst

wêrom seist neat
wêrom ropst net datst my fûn hast
lit my sjen wat ik dwaan kin
mei alles datst my jûn hast
kear myn binnen út
lit myn bonken my rêde
kear myn binnen út

bist al sa tichteby
kinst noch folle, folle tichter
de bliksem slacht yn
en de wrâld draait wylder
en alles driuwt fierder
en fierder útien
de kop fan de hân
de hân fan it hert

ien ding dat wis is
is dat ik him leafhaw
de grûn dy’t him draacht
en de wyn dy’t him keard hat
en noch gean ik troch hjirmei
dei nei dei
en noch gean ik troch hjirmei

no’t ik sein ha
dat ik dy leafha
de grûn dy’t dy draacht
en de wyn dy’t dy keard hat
haw ik dy nedich
net moarn, oait of letter
kom no op myn wei
kom no op myn wei

kom no kom no
kom no op myn wei
sjoch net wer om
en nim my mei

Lyrics: Lhasa de Sela // Frisian (free) translation: Nynke Laverman Music: L. de Sela, J. Lapierre, V. Ségal English translation: Susan Massotty

Translation

Turn

why don’t you ask me
how long I’ve been waiting
set down on the road
while the sky is on fire
I’m waiting for you
in the chorus of thunder
I’m waiting for you

I sing like a slave I know
I should know better
I’ve learned all my lessons
drunk wisdom like water
and still I go on like this
long, longer, longest
waiting for miracles
and shaking with fear

why don’t you say something
why don’t you shout that you’ve found me
show me how to use
all the things you gave me
turn me inside out
so my bones can save me
turn me inside out

you’ve come this close
you can come even closer
lightning strikes
and the world spins faster
and things just get further
and further apart
the head from the hands
and the hands from the heart

one thing that’s true
is that I love him
the ground he walks on
and the wind that turned him
and still I go on like this
day after day
still I go on like this

now that I’ve said
I love you
the ground you walk on
and the wind that turned you
I need you now
not tomorrow, some day or later
come down on my road
come down on my road

come down on my road
don’t look back
but take me with you