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From the high parapet |
Amsterdam, 2025-12-22
Four poems by Frida Vogels
December 22nd, 1959 - The besieged city no one can approach
January 23rd, 1970 - Still standing in the breach, while behind you
April 1st, 1970 - Waiting. Preparing
July 8th, 1970 - Only one entrance
Collection: Lookout
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| A good warrior | |
| waits and lets his enemy -- | |
| take fatal chances. | |
| Een goede strijder | Ein guter Krieger |
| wacht af en laat zijn vijand -- | wartet, lässt seinen Feind sein -- |
| risico's nemen. | Leben riskieren. |
Amsterdam, 2025-09-30
Modern saying, said to derive from a Chinese or Japanese proverb: "If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by"
Collection: Stall
Tribute to: Anon. [China]
| I still stand firm, while | |
| the enemy in the streets -- | |
| is jigging about. | |
| Ik sta nog steeds pal, | Ich halte noch durch, |
| terwijl de vijand dronken -- | während der Feind betrunken -- |
| door de straten host. | durch die Straßen tanzt. |
Amsterdam, 2025-08-14
Still standing in the breach, while behind you (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "Nog op de bres staan, terwijl achter je", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part IX [Marriage], and in "Diary 1970-1971" - January 23rd, 1970, Bologna
Collection: Lookout
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| You stand up for me: | |
| at random you dash outside -- | |
| into empty streets. | |
| Je verdedigt mij: | Du verteidigst mich: |
| in het wilde weg storm je -- | ins blaue hinein stürzt du -- |
| lege straten in. | in leere Straßen. |
Amsterdam, 2025-07-25
You stood up for me (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "Je nam het op voor mij", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part VI [Kees], and in "Diary 1962-1963" (2007) - May 17th, 1963, Bologna
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| I injured myself | |
| while practising on myself -- | |
| for the real battle. | |
| Ik heb me verwond, | Ich bin verletzt, ich |
| ik oefende met mezelf -- | habe an mir selbst geübt -- |
| voor de echte strijd. | für den echten Kampf. |
Amsterdam, 2025-07-22
On my turf (Frida Vogels) - 2007
Verse "Op eigen terrein", published in "Diary 1962-1963" - January 8th, 1962, Bologna
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| Don't be a bee, girl, | |
| if you want to keep it up -- | |
| you must be a wasp. | |
| Wees geen bij, meisje, | Sei keine Biene, |
| als je het vol wilt houden -- | denn wer durchhalten will, muss -- |
| moet je een wesp zijn. | eine Wespe sein. |
Amsterdam, 2025-03-16
Higher physics #10 (Ellen Deckwitz) - 2019
Poem (collection "Hogere natuurkunde"), pages 50, 54 - Grandma (1921-2014) gives advice
Collection: Death on Cast
Tribute to: Deckwitz, Ellen
| We have the Sausage, | |
| fear us, fear our clever tricks -- | |
| and contempt for death! | |
| Wij hebben de Worst, | Wir haben die Wurst, |
| vrees ons, vrees onze streken -- | fürchtet uns, den Tricks und die -- |
| en doodsverachting! | Todesverachtung! |
Amsterdam, 2025-03-09
The sausage (Anonymous [France] / François-Nicolas Wilhelm) - 1871
"Le boudin", marching song of the French Foreign Legion - The 'sausage' is the canvas with tools that the legionnaire carries atop his backpack
Collection: Truder
Tribute to: Anon. [France]
Composer: Wilhelm, Francois-Nicolas
| Am I, for the sake | |
| of a good cause, willing to -- | |
| destroy everything? | |
| Ben ik bereid om | Bin ich bereit, für |
| 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
Novel (roman à clef) "L'invitée" (1943, "She came to stay" / "The Invitee", 1949), part 2, chapter 1
Collection: Human excess
Tribute to: De Beauvoir, Simone
| The rider looks at | |
| the silent valley and death -- | |
| waiting beyond it. | |
| De ruiter beziet | Der Reiter blickt auf |
| het stille dal en de dood -- | das stille Tal und den Tod -- |
| die daarachter wacht. | der dahinter liegt. |
Amsterdam, 2024-12-14
The Green Knight (Iris Murdoch) - 1993
Novel, chapter 4 Eros
Painting "The Polish Rider" (1655, Rembrandt van Rijn)
Collection: Longing and Loss
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris; Van Rijn, Rembrandt
| He who fights for pay | |
| isn't fighting for anything -- | |
| may die for nothing. | |
| Wie vecht voor soldij, | Wer für Wehrsold kämpft, |
| vecht nergens voor, is bereid -- | kämpft für nichts und ist bereit -- |
| voor niets te sterven. | für nichts zu sterben. |
Amsterdam, 2024-11-08
Convoy - Travelling to a country at war (Tommy Wieringa) - 2024
Report "Konvooi - Reizen naar een land in oorlog" - Russian soldiers in Ukraine
Collection: Truder
Tribute to: Wieringa, Tommy
| Sleep, anger, so that | |
| the lightning of your beauty -- | |
| can't strike anyone. | |
| Slaap, boosheid, opdat | Schlafe, Zorn, damit |
| de bliksem van jouw schoonheid -- | der Kriegsblitz deiner Schönheit -- |
| niemand van ons treft. | keinen von uns trifft. |
Amsterdam, 2024-09-28
Sleep, oh lightning of war (Antonio Ottoboni / Alessandro Scarlatti) - 1697
Air ""Dormi, o fulmine di guerra", from the oratorio "La Giuditta" (Judith)
Collection: Love Mind and Death
Tribute to: Ottoboni, Antonio
Composer: Scarlatti, Alessandro
| The warrior maid | |
| clatters the spear, she's ready -- | |
| at the slightest shake. | |
| De krijgsvrouw klettert | Der Krieger klappert |
| met de speer, ze is paraat -- | mit dem Speer, er ist bereit -- |
| bij elke trilling. | beim kleinsten Beben. |
Amsterdam, 2023-06-25
The free bird and its cages - The history of a domicile (Simon Vestdijk) - 1957
Statue of Minerva on the glass bookcase in the student room
Roman "De vrije vogel en zijn kooien - De geschiedenis van een domicilie", chapter 1-4, 2-1, 3-4; novel "De rimpels van Esther Ornstein - De geschiedenis van een verzuim" (1959), chapter 1-1, 1-2, 1-4
Collection: Inmost [1]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon
| Ambulances, blood- | |
| bags driving to the border: | |
| a war is coming! | |
| Ambulances, bloed- | Krankenwagen, Blut- |
| zakken rijden naar de grens: | beutel fahren zur Grenze: |
| een oorlog op komst! | ein Krieg wird kommen! |
Amsterdam, 2022-12-29
Russia early 2022, on the border with Ukraine
Collection: BloodTrunk
|
When I was young, they said |
Amsterdam, 2022-08-29
Collection: Lilith's Powers
| It is war again, | |
| so who is willing to fight? | |
| Who's willing to die? | |
| Het is weer oorlog, | Es gibt wieder Krieg, |
| dus wie wil er meevechten? | also wer will mitkämpfen? |
| Bereid te sterven? | Bereit zu sterben? |
Amsterdam, 2022-07-29
Collection: PumicePieces
| A war is concrete, | |
| but it always starts abstract -- | |
| with words, with language. | |
| Oorlog is concreet, | Der Krieg ist konkret, |
| maar begint altijd abstract -- | doch beginnt immer abstrakt -- |
| met woorden, met taal. | mit Worten, Sprache. |
Amsterdam, 2021-10-14
The virtuoso (Margriet de Moor) - 1993
Novel "De virtuoos"
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: De Moor, Margriet
|
I do remember |
Amsterdam, 2020-03-14
Collection: Lilith's Powers
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk, Angelina S
| I don't know where to, | |
| so I can't go anywhere -- | |
| Threatening looks then. | |
| Niet weten waarheen, | Ich kann nirgendwo |
| dus geen kant op kunnen, dan -- | hin, mir bleibt nichts übrig als -- |
| maar dreigend kijken. | ein drohender Blick. |
Amsterdam, 2018-01-18
The conference room (Albert Alberts) - 1974
Novel "De vergaderzaal"
Collection: Within the walls
Tribute to: Alberts, Albert
| Frozen soil, rumbling | |
| with feet, naked and skinny -- | |
| the locust stands braced. | |
| De bevroren grond | Der Boden bebt von |
| dreunt van voeten, naakt en schriel -- | Füßen, nackt und mager spannt -- |
| staat de sprinkhaan schrap. | die Grille sich an. |
Amsterdam, 2017-12-17
On fragile legs on the frozen ground (Frida Vogels) - 2012
Poem "Op broze pootjes op de bevroren grond", published in "Diary 1972-1973" - December 3rd, 1972, Bologna
Collection: Overwritten
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
 |  |
| Wasps | |
| sting when necessary | |
 | |
| I too defend myself | |
| I fight like a soldier : | |
| I fight for my life | |
| I fight for my freedom | |
| I fight for peace | |
