TALK ABOUT HISTORY

Maila Pylkkönen(1931-1986)

Talk about history,

the Egyptians, written information,

then I will put on display the scribe:

Diligent he is in what he is, greedy, pattering, productive

and important,

understands his time wrong, reads newspaper,

memorizes, learns the alphabet

but never the language,

such language shall not

come which scribes wouldn't misunderstand,

        doesn't come a poet

who will be listened before the bats come,

talk about prehistory and primitive tribes,

that's scribe's talk,

I say that the journey to an ape doesn't change.

Puhukaa historiasta was translated from an anthology edited by Hannu Mäkelä(1943-), Uuden runon kauneimmat 1(1970, 1. printing 1968), page 224.  This anthology is selected from an earlier one that was edited by Osmo Hormia(1926-83), Uuden runon kauneimmat : valikoima modernia suomalaista lyriikkaa vuosilta 1946-1956(1958).