Snie yn augustus

hiesto it tocht
doe’t alle oaren
mei wetter goaiden
en wy te wiet en
te wurch om ús
fjurke noch
geande ús
fuotten ferdraaiden
en elk
in eigen wei
hiesto it tocht

hiesto it tocht
doe’t ik klokken
ferstoppe om
oeren dagen in
libben te sparjen
dat letter miskien
dat wisten je net
doe’t it snijde
yn desimber
lykas oare jierren
en de kjeld
in âld ferhaal
hiesto it tocht

snie yn augustus
dizze leafde
snie yn augustus
it kin eins net
en dochs

hiesto it tocht
doe’t der oeral
apen en bearen
grutte beswieren
en de mienings
ferdield
doe’t wy mei
doarren sloegen
om hiel dúdlike
punten
dy’t dochs wer
komma’s
en al gau
in nije doar
hiesto it tocht

snie yn augustus
dizze leafde
snie yn augustus
it kin eins net
en dochs

mar dat it eins net kin
en dat it dochs
geloksbeestjes yn
lúsjefersdoaskes
sjogge je eins nea
en dochs

Lyrics: Nynke Laverman Music: Nynke Laverman & Ward Veenstra English translation: Willem Groenewegen

Translation

Snow in August

would you have believed
when all the others
were throwing water
and we too wet and
too tired to keep
our fire going
twisted
our feet
and each
their own way
would you have believed

would you have believed
when I hid
clocks to
save hours days
a life
that later perhaps
you never could tell
when it snowed
in December
as in other years
and the cold
in stories of old
would you have believed

snow in August
this love
snow in August
it shouldn’t really be
and yet

would you have believed
when everywhere
monkeys and bears
great objections
and opinions
divided
when we
slammed doors
for definite
full stops
that then proved
commas
and quite soon
a new door
would you have believed

snow in August
this love
snow in August
it shouldn’t really be

but that it shouldn’t really be
and yet it is
lucky little creatures
in matchboxes
you never really see
and yet