At that evening I did neither drink nor sing, I only glared at her, How children look, how children look. But the one who had been with her before, Told me to vanish, Told me to vanish, That for me there is no hope. And the one who had been with her before, - Was rough with me, he threatened me, - And I remember everything, I was not drunk, When I decided to leave, She said: - Don’t hurry! - She said: - Don’t hurry - It is too early yet. But the one who had been with her before Did obviously not forget me, And then in the autumn, and then in the autumn - I go with a friend and see them standing. They were standing silently in a line, They were standing silently in a line, They were eight. I have a knife, I decided: - That It would not be easy to take vengeance on me. Sweat it out, monsters, sweat it out, monsters, - Why should I die in vain? Then I was the first to beat, Then I was the first to beat - It was necessary. But the one who had been with her before, Has brought it on himself Quite seriously, quite seriously. Someone dislocated my shoulder, Valuha cried: - Watch out! - Valuha cried: - Watch out! - But it was too late. For eight times bad luck there is only one answer, In the prison there also is an infirmary, I idled there, I idled there. The doctor cut me this way and that He told me: - Hold on, brother! - He told me: - Hold on, brother! - And I held on. Parting was over in a jiffy. She didn’t want to wait for me, But I forgive her, forgive her. Of course, I forgave her, Yet the one, who had been with her before, The one who had been with her before, I don’t pardon. Her, of course, I forgave, Yet the one, who had been with her before, The one, who had been with her before, I shall meet!
© Elisabeth Jelinek. Translation, 2018