Cloister Sketch (I), Poem by Emile Verhaeren

Poem by Emile Verhaeren Period 19th century

In a heavy vermilion afternoon repose,
The stalls of old dim oak are aligned,
And the day passing through the fiery windows
Spreads, at the back of the choir, mats of sunlight.

And the monks in their cowls all the same,
—Same folds on their sleeve and same on their frock,
Same stiffness and same rock-like posture—
Stand there, mute, planted in two pale rows.

And one expects to see their halted gestures
Suddenly prolong themselves and the chanted verses
Break, with thundering voices, these silences that weigh;

But nothing moves, along the dark fleeing wall,
And the hours go by, through the convent, without a sound,
And always and always the great monks keep silent.

Emile Verhaeren

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

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