this morning

This morning was something. A little snow
lay on the ground. The sun floated in a clear
blue sky. The sea was blue, and blue-green,
as far as the eye could see.
Scarcely a ripple. Calm. I dressed and went
for a walk -- determined not to return
until I took in what Nature had to offer.
I passed close to some old, bent-over trees.
Crossed a field strewn with rocks
where snow had drifted. Kept going
until I reached the bluff.
Where I gazed at the sea, and the sky, and
the gulls wheeling over the white beach
far below. All lovely. All bathed in a pure
cold light. But, as usual, my thoughts
began to wander. I had to will
myself to see what I was seeing
and nothing else. I had to tell myself this is what
mattered, not the other. (And I did see it,
for a minute or two!) For a minute or two
it crowded out the usual musings on
what was right, and what was wrong -- duty,
tender memories, thoughts of death, how I should treat
with my former wife. All the things
I hoped would go away this morning.
The stuff I live with every day. What
I've trampled on in order to stay alive.
But for a minute or two I did forget
myself and everything else. I know I did.
For when I turned back i didn't know
where I was. Until some birds rose up
from the gnarled trees. And flew
in the direction I needed to be going.

raymond carver

aquest matí

Aquest matí tenia alguna cosa. Un tel de neu
cobria el terra. El sol surava en un clar
cel blau.El mar era blau i blau-verd,
tan lluny com l'ull podia mirar.
A penes un murmuri. Calma. Em vaig vestir i me'n vaig anar 
a fer un tomb - decidit a no tornar 
fins que descobrís allò que la natura m'havia d'oferir.
Vaig passar a prop d'un arbres vells i encorbats.
Vaig travessar un camp ple de rocs
coberts de neu. vaig continuar voltant 
fins arribar al penya-segat.
A on vaig mirar el mar, i el cel, i
les gavines giravoltant sobre la llunyana platja blanca.
Tot encantador. Tot banyat en una pura i 
freda llum. Però, com sempre, els meus pensaments
van començar a vagar. Tenia que
concentrar-me en veure allò que estava veient
i res mes. Tenia que dir-me que això era 
important, no la resta. ( I ho vaig veure ,
durant un minut o dos!) Durant un minut o dos
va desplaçar les reflexions habituals sobre
el be i mal - obligacions,
tendres records, la mort, com hauria de tractar
la meva ex-dona. totes les coses
que desitjava que marxessin aquest matí.
La rutina diària. Allò que
havia arraconat per tal de continuar vivint.
Però per un minut o dos em vaig oblidar
de mi mateix i tota la resta.Se que ho vaig fer.
Quan em vaig donar la volta ja no ho recordava 
a on era. Fins que alguns ocells es van enlairar
des dels arbres encorbats. I van volar 
en la direcció per a on havia d'anar.

traducció: alvart