Vítězslav Hálek

“ My heart in them I planted,
And God placed sweet songs in that heart
To have men’s bliss augmented.
A strange plant is the human heart—
Not easily to nourish;
For, it is up to love alone,
If it shall die or flourish. ”

“ I’ll change to heaven the world and all
And there command the stars to meet.
I’ll make your subjects all men's hearts,
Revive the Eden with my verse,
Proclaim Thee high queen of it all
Throughout the whole of universe. ”

“ The little bird that sleeps in twigs
Is dreaming only of it.
And here, too, on the earth the man,
While death his head does covet,
He weeps, rejoices, longs and lives
And dies for the sake of it. ”

“ Or should the hidden paradise
Sleep in my heart’s depth, never uttered,
Like in a grave, and far from Thee
My love in secret be but muttered?
O angel mine, I do confess
My love for mankind, never dying ”

“ My heart and my lips' diction;
To pious battles Thou hast sent
My songs with benediction.
My forehead is from sadness freed,
Fears are a thing I scoff at,
My soul is filled with dawning light—
And I am love’s great prophet. ”

“ And not a mere toy only:
So let it be mine ornament
In night long and place lonely.
Should we feel lonesome in the graves
And, maybe, for home too sick,
Then I shall sing a song for them
And cheer them up with music. ”

“ Passed through His great head, thronging
And beautiful as nights of spring
For a sweet body longing.
Some thought—great as the universe,
Some—music sounding gently,
Some—future human history,
By human eyes seen faintly. ”

“ Ye all who deem yourselves oppressed,
Come near, come nearer to me:
Lay off your sorrows’ burdens here
And light up your minds gloomy.
I’ve reared here a vast realm of love
Where mate seeks his mate pretty,
And what one harbors in his heart
Resounds in love's sweet ditty. ”

“ Unnoticed, the heart entered,
As dew falls in a flower cup,
And near the bottom centered.
That is why love is a great grief,
But grief so sweet and charming
That pitied must be all the hearts
That have escaped its harming. ”

“ The night—fair shadow of the day—
Thy love’s sweet moderation.
Thou hast set fire within my breast,
Earth’s centre’s heat assuming,
But that fire, unnursed by Thy love,
Will die, itself consuming. ”

“ The moon has risen o'er the woods,
And my time has just passed away.
But, darling, do not clasp Thy hands;
Embrace me as I Thee with mine—
And thus, instead of clasping hands,
Two hearts will in one prayer join. ”

“ The moon sheds her light on their way,
And in close touch they wander.
The maiden choir of quiet stars
Is twinkling to them greeting,
And gentle zephyrs in their breath
Bring odors to them, fleeting. ”

“ From heaven angels come to earth—
Dreams with their golden visions,
And each of them brings men in sleep
Delight from happy regions.
Wherever these fair angels stop,
Men learn all they had craven ”

“ Delightful, playful, gentle, tame,
When her mate comes to meet her.
And I can scarcely gaze enough
At Thine eyes and cheeks’ blossom—
Thine eyes are but two dark blue gates
To Thy deep charming bosom. ”

“ Though driven by them through all lands—
Love them—and keep on singing!”
That lot is common to us bards.
Men may have our songs chanted,
But with what had brought on our song—
None cares to get acquainted. ”

“ All’s stricken with sweet passion,
And nightingales and fair white doves
All sing with animation.
And he whom his white wing does touch
Is transformed all over,
And something sweet enters his breast
That human words can’t cover. ”

“ I am the knight from the old tale
Who proudly to the far world rode
To see the lass who’s like a rose
And to discover her abode.
Who would behold her—said her fame—
Would by a ban at once be struck ”

“ And they soon tuned their throats to them
Till in their songs love sounded.
The other day I called on them
In their woods and nooks shady
And was surprised to find the birds
To sing my songs already. ”

“ Should the little volume bring real pleasure to the reader and induce others to open wider the doors to the rich and charming Czech literature for the readers in English, the effort of the translator would be well rewarded. ”