Jezus rint
Doe’t Jezus de wyldernis ynrûn
droech er in man op ’e rêch,
it hie teminsten de foarm fan in man,
in fiskerman faaks mei in snotnoas,
in bakker faaks mei moal yn ’e eagen.
De man wie sa te sjen dea
en wie dochs ûnombringber.
Jezus droech in protte manlju
dochs wie der mar ien man –
as it wier in man wie.
Alle blêden dêr yn de wyldernis
stutsen de hannen út
mar Jezus gong fierder.
De bijen lokken him nei harren huning
mar Jezus gong fierder.
It swyn snijde syn hert út en bea it oan
mar Jezus gong fierder
mei syn swiere lêst.
De duvel kaam en joech him in snútslach
en Jezus rûn troch.
De duvel liet de ierde bewege as in lift
en Jezus rûn troch.
De duvel boude in stêd fol huorren,
allegearre yn lytse ingelebêden,
en Jezus rûn troch mei syn lêst.
Fjirtich dagen en fjirtich nachten lang
sette Jezus de iene foet foar de oare
en de man dy’t er droech,
as it al in man wie,
waard swierder en swierder.
Hy droech alle beammen fan de wrâld
en sy binne ien beam.
Hy droech fjirtich moannen
en sy binne ien moanne.
Hy droech alle learzens
fan alle manlju yn de wrâld
en sy binne ien lears.
Hy droech ús bloed.
Ien bloed.
Bidde, wist Jezus,
is in man wêze dy’t in man draacht.
Jesus Walking
When Jesus walked into the wilderness
he carried a man on his back,
at least it had the form of a man,
a fisherman perhaps with a wet nose,
a baker perhaps with flour in his eyes.
The man was dead it seems
and yet he was unkillable.
Jesus carried many men
yet there was only one man –
if indeed it was a man.
There in the wilderness all the leaves
reached out their hands
but Jesus went on by.
The bees beckoned him to their honey
but Jesus went on by.
The boar cut out its heart and offered it
but Jesus went on by
with his heavy burden.
The devil approached and slapped him on the jaw
and Jesus walked on.
The devil made the earth move like an elevator
and Jesus walked on.
The devil built a city of whores,
each in little angel beds,
and Jesus walked on with his burden.
For forty days, for forty nights
Jesus put one foot in front of the other
and the man he carried,
if it was a man,
became heavier and heavier.
He was carrying all the trees of the world
which are one tree.
He was carrying forty moons
which are one moon.
He was carrying all the boots
of all the men in the world
which are one boot.
He was carrying our blood.
One blood.
To pray, Jesus knew,
is to be a man carrying a man.
Ut The Death Notebooks, 1974. YouTube: Anne Sexton Reads Her Poetry: ‘Jesus Walking’.
