The Pikes Song

Reading by Microsoft Sam

Aaro Hellaakoski: The Pike's Song (1928)

Translated by Leevi Lehto

From his hole so wet and drenching
a pike rose up to tree to sing

when through the greyish net of clouds
first gleam of day was seen
and at the lake the lapping waves
woke up with joyous mean
the pike rose to the spruce's crone
to take a bite at reddish cone

he may have seen or heard, or smelled
or learned by taste of cone
the dew-wet glory, untold yet
of that morning-hour

opening his
mouth so bony
sidewise moving
the jawbone phoney

intoned a hymn
so wild-and-heavy
that birds fell silent
immediately
as if overcome by
the waters' weight
and lonesomeness'
cold embrace.