Thought's winged horse

By Pia Tafdrup

Thoughts find their way 
forward in steady flow 
   in leap, in zigzag. 
Not exhaustion, 
just more fermenting,
          crystalline 
while the mind circulates around them. 
Thoughts provoke 
new thoughts 
   ordered, chaotic. 
No grille obstructs, 
   no halo. 
Thought’s winged horse rises, 
   flies up 
from the brain’s infinity,
   throws light 
in the cerebral gray 
   abandons 
the physical body in a steep glide.


TANKENS VINGEDE HEST



Tanker finder vej
fremad i lige strøm,
  i spring, i zigzag.
Ikke rovdrift,
blot fortsat ynglen,
       krystallinsk,
mens sindet kredser om dem.
Tanker provokerer
nye tanker,
  ordnede,kaotiske.
Intet gitter spaerrer,
  ingen glorie.
Tankens vingede hest letter,
  flyver op
fra hjernens uendelighed,
  kaster lys -
i det cerebrale grå,
  forlader
den fysiske krop i et stejlt svæv.

translated from Danish by David McDuff