We do not need the topics and intrigues, We. know that already, give us no books. I, for example, consider the penal code To be the best book on this whole earth. And when I feel uneasy and not sleepy, Or when hangover brings sadness to me, I’ll open any page of the code, And read for hours to the end. I didn’t give advice to my friends, But I know - they’ve experienced the worst. And I just finished reading about that: "Not less than three years, not more than ten". Perhaps you should converse about these lines, Why do we need the novels of all times? They only have affairs, long as prison terms, Scandals, cards, fights and deceits. I wish I’d not see these lines for a hundred years, Behind each one I can see someone’s fate. And I rejoice if the article is not so harsh - And still, someone will get lucky someday. And my heart beats like a wounded bird, When I begin to read about my fate. And the blood inside my temples is knocking, Just like the cops when they knock on the door.
© Nathan Mer. Translation, 1991