Syn brief

dy dei kaamst my yn ’e mjitte en do rûnst
sjongend op it strân, ik waaide út en ergens
fleach de wylster foarby yn in wolk fan mist
it hindere net, dy dei wie lang genôch foar ús

sacht helle ik de wylster oan, do hiest my
by de hûd krigen en de sinne sakke dy dei
swier myn hert yn, doe’t dyn skriemen skril
syn twa wjukken bruts, syn snaffel skeinde

ik waard it donkere binnenste fan dyn ferhaal
en yn myn donkerste binnen waard ik in fûgel

do seidest, jou my dyn wiete, tsjustere blik
jou my dyn hannen en jou my hiel dyn hert
mar de nacht is foarby, de wylster sit deunby
de rûzige see, en hy fluitet syn eigen ferhaal

wat witsto fan fertriet, it is myn jas hjoed
lit my de hûd, lit my myn gouden wjukken
en asto my op in winterdei wer sjongen hearst
dan witst hoefolle kleur at dit iensum hert hat

ik waard it donkere binnenste fan dyn ferhaal
en yn myn donkerste binnen waard ik in fûgel

Lyrics: Albertina Soepboer Music: Sytze Pruiksma, Ward Veenstra, Nynke Laverman English translation: Susan Massotty

Translation

His letter

the day you came to meet me and ran down
the beach singing, I braved the weather and
a golden plover flew past in a cloud of fog
it didn’t matter, the day was long enough for us

I gently stroked the golden plover, you squeezed
my skin and the sun sank that day like
a lead weight in my heart, when your shrill shrieks
broke the bird’s wings, wounded its beak

I became the inner darkness in your story
and in my innermost darkness I became a bird

you said, give me your dewy, dark gaze
give me your hands and give me your heart
but the night is over, the golden plover sits by
the tempestuous sea, singing its own story

what do you know of sorrow, it’s my cloak today
leave me my skin, leave me my golden wings
and if you hear me singing again one winter day
you’ll know how colorful this lonely heart can be

I became the inner darkness in your story
and in my innermost darkness I became a bird