Willy Kyrklund, Polyphemus metamorphosed

TRANSLATION EXTRACT ‘POLYPHEMUS METAMORPHOSED’ WITH POEM RESPONSE, 2008.

All words, when there is no action, to be hollow and foolish.
Polyphemus sits dazzled on his cliff, taking the lie of the sea, prepared with a giant boulder in his embrace, he waits for Nobody. All words, without consequence, empty and mad.
The name of Polyphemus signifies “he who speaks a lot” or maybe “he who knows many songs”.
He sits on the precipitous cliff blue in the far distance, turning blue he himself an element of the cliff.
He sits looking out into the foaming spray, guarding for Nobody’s return, at last, to this coast. He is waiting, that after all the right wind will come, that a storm, sweet as honey shall expel he who erred again onto these same cliffs.
He waits for Nobody and his lips moves in the breeze. He is talking to himself, but the words are muted by the wind, maybe he sings. All words, which hold no deed are useless and vacant.

Polyphemus

(- I'm in the look out
high up on the rocks
carefully taking the lie of the sea
I notice how the colour changes
as a boat approach

Then a great storm
blown in from the all knowing open waters
and I get excited
this is how it started before

For a moment I rest in the interstices
on soft sea weed
but when the storm is over
disappointment as I sit and count the driftwood

I know this place
I got my calling when things changed
the disaster happened
to stay here on this big boulder
wait until the gods send back
sighing what was lost.)