| A herd of horses | |
| or cows, that is wonderful! -- | |
| Crowds of people too? | |
| Een kudde koeien | |
| of paarden, dat is prachtig! -- | oder Kühen sind prächtig! -- |
| Een groep mensen ook? | Menschenmassen auch? |
Amsterdam, 2021-01-19
Discourses (Epictetus)
135 Epictetus
"Dissertationes" (documented by Lucius Flavius Arrianus)
Keyword: Together: group
| The graceful white swan | |
| becomes browner, nicely cooked -- | |
| No more flying though... | |
| De mooie witte | |
| zwaan wordt bruiner, lekker gaar -- | Schwan wird brauner, schön gegart -- |
| Ach, ze vliegt niet meer... | Na, er fliegt nicht mehr... |
Amsterdam, 2023-12-03
Once I swam in lakes (Carmina Burana, Carl Orff)
1200 Anon. [Deutschland]
Song "Olim lacus colueram" from the collection "Songs from Bebnediktbeuern", set to music by Carl Orff in 1937
Keyword: Flying: swan
Composer: Orff, Carl
| He who does not pay | |
| cannot become rich, chop chop -- | |
| he loses his head. | |
| Ach, wie niet betaalt, | |
| kan niet rijk worden, hak hak -- | reich werden, hau hau, und er -- |
| verliest hij zijn hoofd. | verliert seinen Kopf. |
Amsterdam, 2026-05-10
Oranges and Lemons
1744 Anon. [England]
Song ("The Bells of St. Clement's") accompanying the game, in which two children form a gate and try to clamp the head of the child walking underneath between their arms
Keywords: Poverty: practice, Capitalism
| Well, is man still in | |
| the cradle of Earth? Would it -- | |
| predict anything? | |
| Ligt de mens nog steeds | |
| in de wieg van de Aarde? | in der Wiege der Erde? |
| En voorspelt dat iets? | Sagt das was voraus? |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-04
Letter (Konstantin Tsiolkovsky)
1911 Tsiolkovski, Konstantin
Comment in a letter from Konstantin Tsiolkovsky from 1911: "Planyeta yest' kolybyel razuma, no nyelzya vyechno zhit' v kolybyeli" ("The planet is the cradle of the mind, but you cannot live in the cradle forever" >> "Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever [The solar system becomes our kindergarten]")
Homo sapiens has been around for 300,000 years
Keyword: Mankind
| Dawn is breaking, dark | |
| grains of sand, stained with his blood -- | |
| I am not looking! | |
| Het wordt dag, donker | |
| zand: de vlekken van zijn bloed -- | Sand, befleckt mit seinem Blut -- |
| Ik kijk er niet naar! | Ich sehe nicht hin! |
Amsterdam, 2025-11-10
The spilled blood (Federico García Lorca)
1935 García Lorca, Federico
Poem "La sangre derramada" - Llanto por [torero] Ignacio Sánchez Mejías
Keyword: Memory: of people
| He grins in the pain | |
| of his wounds grown stiff, takes death -- | |
| as an aspirin. | |
| Hij grijnst in de pijn | |
| van zijn wonden, neemt de dood -- | seiner Wunden, nimmt den Tod -- |
| als aspirientje. | als Aspirinchen. |
Amsterdam, 2020-11-27
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway)
1940 Hemingway, Ernest
Novel
Keyword: Death: dying
| A lot of bombs fell, | |
| more than the men on the ground -- | |
| could survive to tell. | |
| Er vielen bommen, | |
| meer dan de groep op de grond -- | als einer am Boden noch -- |
| kon navertellen. | erzählen konnte. |
Amsterdam, 2020-11-27
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway)
1940 Hemingway, Ernest
Novel
Keyword: War: death / victims
| Am I, for the sake | |
| of a good cause, willing to -- | |
| destroy everything? | |
| Ben ik bereid om | |
| voor de goede zaak alles -- | einen guten Zweck alles -- |
| kapot te maken? | kaputt zu machen? |
Amsterdam, 2025-01-31
She came to stay (Simone de Beauvoir)
1943 De Beauvoir, Simone
Novel (roman à clef) "L'invitée" (1943, "She came to stay" / "The Invitee", 1949), part 2, chapter 1
Keyword: Combat readiness
| After many bombs: | |
| entry with drums, silently -- | |
| the dead say hooray. | |
| Na vele bommen: | : |
| de intocht met trommels, stil -- | Einzug mit Trommeln, leise -- |
| juichen de doden. | jubeln die Toten. |
Vlissingen, 2019-06-05
The General (José Gomes Ferreira)
1950 Gomes Ferreira, Jose
Poem "O general" (collection "Poesia II")
Keyword: Peace: and war
| There the waxing Earth | |
| is low in the sky, lying -- | |
| in its starry crib. | |
| Boven de einder | |
| ligt de wassende Aarde -- | liegt der Planet Erde in -- |
| in haar sterrenwieg. | der Sternenwiege. |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-05
The Sentinel (Arthur C. Clarke)
1951 Clarke, Arthur C
Short story
Keywords: Universe: all, Earth: planet
| I am curious | |
| and break the glass, it turns out -- | |
| to be an alarm. | |
| Uit nieuwsgierigheid | |
| breek ik het glas, dan blijkt het -- | Glas aus Neugier, dann löst es -- |
| een alarm te zijn. | einen Alarm aus. |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-05
The Sentinel (Arthur C. Clarke)
1951 Clarke, Arthur C
Short story
Keyword: Curiosity: secret / world
| I would rather die, | |
| I don't want to shoot people -- | |
| Shoot at me instead. | |
| Liever ga ik dood, | , |
| ik wil op niemand schieten -- | als Menschen zu erschießen -- |
| Schiet dan maar op mij. | Dann schieß doch auf mich. |
Amsterdam, 2026-04-26
The deserter (Boris Vian)
1954 Vian, Boris, Reggiani, Serge
Song "Le Déserteur" (music Harold B. Berg), sung by Serge Reggiani (1964, album "Serge Reggiani chante Boris Vian")
Keyword: Violence: non-violence
| Oh dear, the mother | |
| of all earworms completely -- | |
| took over his brain. | |
| Helaas, de moeder | |
| aller oorwurmen nam zijn -- | aller Ohrwürmer hat sein -- |
| hersenen over. | Gehirn annektiert. |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-05
The Ultimate Melody (Arthur C. Clarke)
1957 Clarke, Arthur C
Short story
Keyword: Brain: reason
| Murderously, they | |
| attack, but we are as strong -- | |
| as our brotherhood! | |
| Moordend vallen ze | |
| aan, maar wij zijn zo sterk als -- | wir sind so stark wie unse- |
| onze broederschap! | re Brüderlichkeit! |
Amsterdam, 2026-04-26
The wolves have entered Paris (Albert Vidalie)
1967 Vidalie, Albert, Reggiani, Serge
Song "Les loups sont entrés dans Paris" (music Louis Bessières), sung by Serge Reggiani (album "No2 Bobino")
About the troops of the pro-German republicans in May 1871, the German army in 1940, and the rising fascism in 1967
Keyword: Together: solidarity
| No human survives | |
| Jupiter, for that you have -- | |
| to be a machine. | |
| Geen mens overleeft | |
| Jupiter, daarvoor moet je -- | Jupiter, dafür muss man -- |
| een machine zijn. | ein Roboter sein. |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-06
A Meeting with Medusa (Arthur C. Clarke)
1971 Clarke, Arthur C
Story, § 8. Between two worlds
Keyword: Universe: explore
|
They gave us small thanks | |
Amsterdam, 2026-03-08
Political Science (Randy Newman)
1972 Newman, Randy
Four 5-7-5-verses about 'MAGA' (Make America Great Again)
Song "Political Science", album "Sail Away"
Keywords: Colonialism, Politics
| People are shrinking | |
| with the ever higher rise -- | |
| of their steel towers. | |
| De mensen krimpen | |
| bij de hemelhoge groei -- | beim himmelhohen Wachsen -- |
| van hun staaltorens. | ihrer Stahltürme. |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-08
About growing downward (Rolf Jacobsen)
1979 Jacobsen, Rolf
Poem "Om å vokse nedover" (collection "Tenk på noe annet")
Keyword: City (stone & steel)
| Free the world! Weapons | |
| out! People are man enough -- | |
| for non-violence! | |
| Wapens de wereld | : |
| uit: mensen zijn mans genoeg -- | Menschen sind Manns genug für -- |
| voor geweldloosheid! | Gewaltlosigkeit! |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-04
The Hammer of God (Arthur C. Clarke)
1992 Clarke, Arthur C, Opland
Short story
End of the NRA (National Rifle Association) in the USA
Cartoon "Geen nieuwe kernwapens in Europa" (1981, "No new nuclear weapons in Europe") by Opland (Rob Wout)
Keyword: Violence: non-violence
| The Chrislam movement | |
| agrees only about God -- | |
| not about people. | |
| Alleen over God | |
| is de Chrislam het eens, niet -- | nur über Gott, nicht aber -- |
| over de mensen. | über die Menschen. |
Amsterdam, 2024-06-04
The Hammer of God (Arthur C. Clarke)
1992 Clarke, Arthur C
Short story
Chrislam: Religious movements in southwestern Nigeria, especially in the 1970s
Keyword: Religion: God(s)
| He is very nice, | |
| but doesn't have a name, he is -- | |
| called The Gravedigger. | |
| Hij is heel aardig, | |
| maar heeft geen naam, ze noemen -- | dennoch keinen Namen, heißt -- |
| hem De Grafdelver. | Der Totengräber. |
Amsterdam, 2026-08-09
The Flight of the Maidens (Jane Gardam)
2000 Gardam, Jane
Novel, chapter 2
Reference to Shakespeare (Hamlet)
Keyword: Identity: formal / name
| Nothing goes to hell | |
| with a big bang, it always -- | |
| happens with moaning. | |
| Niets gaat met een klap | |
| naar de knoppen, het gebeurt -- | Knall zur Hölle, es passiert -- |
| altijd met gekerm. | immer mit Stöhnen. |
Amsterdam, 2023-10-24
owner's response (Ronelda Kamfer)
2011 Kamfer, Ronelda
Poem - 1651 statement from the Khoi-leader Autshumao, to Jan van Riebeeck (collection "Santekraam")
Keyword: Change: pain
| Please give my corpse back | |
| to my friends, with my fingers -- | |
| for them to divide. | |
| Geef mijn lijk terug | |
| aan mijn vrienden, mijn vingers -- | meinen Freunden, die Finger -- |
| om te verdelen. | sollen sie teilen. |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-21
Details (Ghayath Almadhoun)
2014 Almadhoun, Ghayath
Poem (collection "Weg van Damascus")
Keyword: War: remembrance
| The bullets hit holes | |
| in the bodies, the water -- | |
| is draining out red. | |
| Kogels slaan gaten | |
| in het lichaam, het water -- | Löcher in den Körper, Blut- |
| loopt er bloedrood uit. | rot laufen sie leer. |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-21
Details (Ghayath Almadhoun)
2014 Almadhoun, Ghayath
Poem (collection "Weg van Damascus")
Keyword: War: death / victims
| Listen to my voice, | |
| do not bury my poems -- | |
| in any dead book. | |
| Luister naar mijn stem, | , |
| begraaf mijn gedichten niet -- | vergrabe Gedichten nicht -- |
| in dode boeken. | in toten Büchern. |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-22
The capital (Ghayath Almadhoun)
2016 Almadhoun, Ghayath
Poem (in DW B magazine (Dietsche Warande & Belfort, 2016-3, and in the collection "Ik hier jij daar")
Keywords: Communication (sending), Attention: exist
| The war means dying | |
| of hunger, inside the cage -- | |
| oh, poor canary. | |
| Oorlog is sterven | |
| van de honger, in de kooi -- | an Hunger, im Käfig, ach -- |
| Arme kanarie. | Kanarengirlitz. |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-22
The capital (Ghayath Almadhoun)
2016 Almadhoun, Ghayath
Poem (in DW B magazine (Dietsche Warande & Belfort, 2016-3, and in the collection "Ik hier jij daar")
Keyword: War: death / victims
| The boat refugees | |
| drown, and only after that -- | |
| they're floating about. | |
| Bootvluchtelingen | |
| verdrinken, en daarna pas -- | ertrinken, und erst nachher -- |
| blijven ze drijven. | schwimmen sie herum. |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-22
The capital (Ghayath Almadhoun)
2016 Almadhoun, Ghayath
Poem (in DW B magazine (Dietsche Warande & Belfort, 2016-3, and in the collection "Ik hier jij daar")
Keyword: Foreigners: inhumanity
| Is peace to be free | |
| while a war is raging on -- | |
| in other countries? | |
| Is vrede vrij zijn | |
| terwijl er een oorlog woedt -- | während die Kriege wüten -- |
| in een ander land? | in einem Ausland? |
Amsterdam, 2022-02-22
warraps (Anne Vegter)
2017 Vegter, Anne
Poem "oorlogsrappen" (collections "Wat helpt is een wonder" and "Ik hier jij daar")
Keyword: Peace: and war
| I create the earth, | |
| all, but people, that mistake -- | |
| I won't make again. | |
| Ik schep de aarde, | , |
| alles, maar mensen, die fout -- | Menschen nicht, diesen Fehler -- |
| maak ik nu niet meer. | mach ich nicht wieder. |
Amsterdam, 2022-03-21
Not again (Ali Serik)
2018 Serik, Ali
Poem "Niet nog een keer" (collection "De stem die baart")
Keyword: Stupidity
| Chick chick, the nozzles | |
| form a diaphanous mist -- | |
| with a pale rainbow. | |
| Tsjik tsjik, de sproeiers | |
| vormen vliesdunne nevels -- | bilden vliesdünne Nebel -- |
| met een regenboog. | mit Regenbogen. |
Amsterdam, 2021-01-15
Grace (K. Michel)
2020 Michel, K
Poem "Gratie" (collection "& rol door")
Keywords: Rainbow, Beauty: surroundings
| Between some remains | |
| and undigested houses: | |
| underground parking. | |
| Tussen wat resten | |
| en onverteerde huizen: | und unverdauten Häusern: |
| de parkeerkelder. | die Tiefgarage. |
Amsterdam, 2022-01-29
Cross-section (Marjolijn van Heemstra)
2020 Van Heemstra, Marjolijn
Poem "Dwarsdoorsnede" (collection "Reistijd, bedtijd, ijstijd")
Keyword: New: renewal
| You neutralise them, | |
| or put them out of action -- | |
| You shall not murder. | |
| Geneutraliseerd | |
| of buiten gevecht gesteld: | und außer Gefecht gesetzt: |
| gij zult niet doden. | du sollst nicht töten. |
Amsterdam, 2020-11-28
Interview with Major Niels Roelen
2020 Roelen, Niels
Fifth (sixth) commandment (Ex. 20:13): You shall not murder
Keyword: War: fight
| Leaving the district, | |
| noise behind the parking lot: | |
| the Supersuper. | |
| De wijk uit, gedruis | , |
| achter het parkeerterrein: | Geräusch hinter dem Parkplatz: |
| de Supersuper. | der Supersuper. |
Amsterdam, 2021-01-15
Grace (K. Michel)
2020 Michel, K
Poem "Gratie" (collection "& rol door")
Keyword: Together: society
| In the trenches they | |
| run busily back and forth: | |
| the thousands of mice. | |
| In de loopgraven | |
| rennen ze druk heen en weer: | gehen sie schnell hin und her: |
| duizenden muizen. | Tausende Mäuse. |
Amsterdam, 2023-09-18
The cloud inventory (Franco Faggiani)
2023 Faggiani, Franco
World War I
Novel "L'inventario delle nuvole", § 13
Keyword: Death: and life
| Sunset, chiming bells. | |
| I protest in the graveyard -- | |
| Drinking a coffee. | |
| Lage zon, klokken. | . |
| Ik protesteer bij het graf -- | Ich protestiere am Grab -- |
| Met een mok koffie. | Mit einem Kaffee. |
Amsterdam, 2025-12-05
Some Days I Drink My Coffee By the Grave of William Blake (Matt Johnson)
2024 Johnson, Matt, The The
Song, album "Ensoulment" by The The - Poet and painter William Blake (London 1757-1827)
Keywords: Evening, Memory: of someone
| The building is full: | |
| all those pieces of clothing -- | |
| with people in it. | |
| Het gebouw is vol: | : |
| overal kledingstukken -- | überall Kleidungsstücke -- |
| met mensen erin. | mit Menschen darin. |
Amsterdam, 2026-07-07
A free life (Mariët Meester)
2025 Meester, Mariët
Autobiographical story "Een vrij leven", chapter X - November 1983, Apeldoorn
Keyword: Together: crowd / busy
| Suddenly they came, | |
| suddenly we had to go -- | |
| scared. The hall. The door. | |
| Ineens kwamen ze, | , |
| ineens moesten we hier weg -- | und mussten wir raus, bange -- |
| bang. De gang. De deur. | Der Flur. Durch die Tür. |
Amsterdam, 2026-05-04
Milan Hofstede
2026
Speech on Dam Square in Amsterdam, on Remembrance Day
Deportation of the Jews
Keyword: War: remembrance
| There are remains of | |
| the fallen, very well-fed -- | |
| stray dogs on the streets. | |
| Nog wat resten van | |
| gesneuvelden, weldoorvoed -- | Gefallenen, streunende -- |
| zijn de zwerfhonden. | Hunde, gut genährt. |
Amsterdam, 2026-05-09
We might not be interested in Putin - but he is interested in us (Joris Luyendijk)
2026 Luyendijk, Joris
Article "Wij zijn misschien niet in Poetin geïnteresseerd - hij wel in ons", in the NRC of May 9th, 2026
Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine are not repatriated but are labeled as having deserted, so that the state does not have to pay a death benefit
Keywords: War: death / victims, Animals: dog
