Translated by John Minahane
1
Black world, radiant
footprint in water
and in the footprint a shard of glass.
2
You will stoop
and break earth below the horizon, round
as the arc of a hand on the steering-wheel.
3
You’ll straighten, you’ll hang on by the trouser-leg
to the shadow that’ll hold you, repeating
gesture after gesture
and keeping in step.
4
Who of us is black,
who white,
who weak,
who strong,
who broke earth below the horizon, round
as the arc of a hand on the steering-wheel.<