Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/89
REVIEW
THE CZECHOSLOVAK
Antonín
Otakar
Sova
Eternal Unrest.
Spirited words had soaring zest , The puny heart was frail and shy . . . We can soar to each topmost crest , Or linger here . The heart sobbed : Try ! And when I made endless heights my quest , The heart wailed there below despairingly . . . And when with the heart I sank to rest , The eagle ' s eyrie stirred me snaringly . " LYRICS OF LOVE AND LIFE ” ( 1907 )
Theer : Spake my heart . . . Spake my heart unto my will : Why rackest thou me, that I ne ' er am still ? Why snappest my growth ? And my leafage wrest ? Why marrest the song in each topmost nest ?
,
clutch dizzily sweet breath of spring unto summer my branches to fling , I desire to be fragrant , to lure , rustle , flower , I desire a sun - gold , a star - silver dower .
I desire I desire
to
Spake my will unto my heart : It betides thee well , pampered thing that thou art! Yearlong from bliss to bliss didst thou stray ; But for me, thou wouldst know nor sorrow nor sway .
Are we born for struggle , or born for dream ? Are we water and vapour, or hill -top and gleam ? I am mistress , thou ’rt slave, hand am I , thing art thou , At my bidding , as taper in tempest , to bow . “ IN SPITE OF ALL ” ( 1916 )
Karel
Toman : A
The sun - dial. house in ruins. On the crannied walls Moss gluttonously crawls And lichens in a spongy rabble .
.
-
by
.
'
er
,
lightning split bloomed e
Knows not
if , it
sickly apple tree -
A
a
pit
The yard is rank with nettle - thickets And toad - flax . In the poisoned water drinking lair Rats have
gloom
)
1913
(
THE SUN DIAL
-
“
.
mask
is
For
all
.
in
face
the sky recites words Sine sole nihil sum
to
And
and gaily shadow dances
of
's
Time
its
And freakishly
on
,
.
,
,
When the days are clear the whistling finches Beaming sunlit days Invade the rubble Liven the dials arc that fronts the place
.
.
in
to
a
be
50 ,
of
, ) to
The above selection has been extracted from volume which will appear 1920 nearly printed opposite lations the number will the original Czech texto
The trans