| A blue butterfly | |
| flies in the sun, there are still -- | |
| so many flowers! | |
| Een blauwe vlinder | Blauer Schmetterling |
| fladdert in de zon, er zijn -- | in der Sonne, es gibt noch -- |
| nog zoveel bloemen! | so viele Blumen! |
Amsterdam, 2026-10-03
Collection: Local traffic
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk
|
It goes up and down for me |
Amsterdam, 2026-07-19
In my body (Floor Rusman) - 2026
Series of autobiographical articles "In mijn lichaam", part 2, "Annoyance", in the NRC of July 18th, 2026
Collection: Pending rain
Tribute to: Rusman, Floor
| I want to live on, | |
| even in hell, if there is -- | |
| heaven afterward. | |
| Ik wil leven, zelfs | Ich will leben, selbst |
| in de hel, als mij daarna -- | in der Hölle, wenn es da- |
| maar de hemel wacht. | nach den Himmel gibt. |
Amsterdam, 2026-04-26
My last wish (Sylvain Lebel) - 1977
Song "Ma dernière volonté" (music Alice Dona), sung by Serge Reggiani (album "Venise n'est pas en Italie"), translated by Herman Pieter de Boer into "Laat me" ("Let me", sung by Ramses Shaffy, 1978, album "Dag en nacht")
Collection: Germ Substance
Tribute to: Lebel, Sylvain; Reggiani, Serge
| The fish is agile, | |
| but we push it down and then -- | |
| hit it on the head. | |
| De vis is lenig, | Der Fisch ist wendig, |
| we houden hem in bedwang -- | wir halten ihn fest, auf den -- |
| en slaan op zijn kop. | Kopf schlagen wir ihn. |
Amsterdam, 2026-04-06
My struggle 5. Some Rain Must Fall (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2010
Autobiographical novel "Min Kamp. Femte bok" (translated 2015), part 7 - July 1990, Haugesund (between Bergen and Stavanger)
Collection: Leaving
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove
| Taking a chance, though | |
| injured and exhausted, still -- | |
| trying to fly up. | |
| Het wagen, gewond | Es wagen, erschöpft |
| en uitgeput toch proberen -- | und schwerverletzt versuchen -- |
| omhoog te vliegen. | noch hochzufliegen. |
Amsterdam, 2025-08-20
The broken wing (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "De gebroken vleugel", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part IX [Marriage]), and in "Diary 1970-1971" (2011) - July 13th, 1971, Bologna
Collection: Lookout
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| After crying out | |
| in my own arm I get up -- | |
| and rebuild the world. | |
| Na het uithuilen | Nach dem Ausweinen |
| sta ik op en dan bouw ik -- | stehe ich auf und baue -- |
| de wereld weer op. | die Welt wieder auf. |
Amsterdam, 2025-08-06
A baneling (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Poem "Een banneling", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", 1994, Frida Vogels, part VII [Acquiescence]), in "Diary 1966-1967" (2009), and in the autobiography "In den vreemde - Kronieken" ("In foreign parts - Chronicles", 2024, Frida Vogels), chapter 'Een vriendin in Rome' (A friend a Rome) - August 30th, 1966, Bologna
Collection: Self-portraits
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| Standing in the sun! | |
| All around me, life beckons -- | |
| First get used to it. | |
| Weer in de zon staan! | Wieder die Sonne! |
| Om mij heen lokt het leven -- | Überall lockt das Leben -- |
| Eerst even wennen. | Erstmal gewöhnen. |
Amsterdam, 2025-07-22
An animal after hibernation (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "Een dier na de winterslaap", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part IV [Frida]), and in "Diary 1960-1961" (2006) - March 24th, 1961, Amsterdam
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| I submit. I am | |
| still alive, barefoot behind -- | |
| the emperor's horse. | |
| Ik onderwerp me. | Ich unterwerfe |
| Ik leef nog, op blote voeten -- | mich. Ich lebe noch, barfuß -- |
| achter de keizer. | hinter dem Kaiser. |
Amsterdam, 2025-07-16
Capitulate: falling at the feet (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Poem "Capituleren: een voetval", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part III [Ennio and Kees]) - January 25th, 1955, Milan
Collection: ThereFrom
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| Well, what I long for | |
| in my life is quite a lot -- | |
| that I still hope for. | |
| Waar ik naar verlang | Was ich mir wünsche |
| in mijn leven, dat is veel -- | in meinem Leben: vieles -- |
| waar ik nog op hoop. | was ich erhoffe. |
Amsterdam, 2025-05-17
You now (Griet Op de Beeck) - 2016
Short stories "Gij nu", story 'mensen gilden alsof ze op een rollercoaster zaten maar dan zonder het plezier' ('people were screaming like they were on a rollercoaster but without the fun'), chapter Four
Collection: No wonder
Tribute to: Op de Beeck, Griet
| The heart as a drum, | |
| and the mouth as a trumpet: | |
| that's a human life. | |
| Het hart als trommel | Das Herz als Trommel, |
| en de mond als een trompet: | der Mund eine Trompete: |
| een mensenleven. | ein Menschenleben. |
Amsterdam, 2025-02-10
Thus have I rolled my life (Muso Soseki) - 1351
Poem by the Zen-monk Muso Soseki (1274-1351), included in the 1986 collection "Japanese Death Poems", compiled by Yoel Hoffmann: "Thus have I rolled my life throughout / inside and out, reclined, upright / What is all this? / A beating drum / a trumpets blare / No more"
Collection: Thinkles Lusionless
Tribute to: Muso, Soseki
| In the crickets' songs | |
| it cannot be heard that they -- | |
| will die tomorrow. | |
| Je kunt niet horen | Man hört dem Gesang |
| aan het lied van de krekel -- | der Grille nicht an, dass sie -- |
| dat hij morgen sterft. | morgen sterben wird. |
Amsterdam, 2025-02-10
Eventually, I'll die (Basho) - 1690
Haiku by Basho (1643-1694), from 1690, included in the 1986 collection "Japanese Death Poems", compiled by Yoel Hoffmann: "Yagate shinu / keshiki wa miezu / semi no koe" ("No sign / in the cicada's song / that it will soon be gone")
Collection: SoulSenseSun
Tribute to: Basho
| What we humans are | |
| is nothing, what we desire -- | |
| is all that matters. | |
| Wat wij mensen zijn | Was wir Menschen sind, |
| is niets, wat we verlangen -- | ist nichts, was wir uns wünschen -- |
| is alles dat telt. | ist alles, was zählt. |
Amsterdam, 2024-11-04
The pagoda (Gerrit Komrij) - 1992
Novella "De pagode", page 21
Collection: Passage Passion
Tribute to: Komrij, Gerrit
|
Rustling lanes, winding roads |
Amsterdam, 2024-10-08
Collection: On living on [1]
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk
| Bodies keep going, | |
| keep seeking a pleasant life -- | |
| whatever happens. | |
| Lichamen zoeken | Körper, suchend nach |
| naar een aangenaam leven -- | einem bequemen Leben -- |
| wat er ook gebeurt. | egal was passiert. |
Amsterdam, 2024-02-04
Collection: The Yellow House Museum
|
Through the shadowy grey |
Amsterdam, 2021-10-07
Collection: Dearme
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk
| Just like yesterday, | |
| they arise from my branches: | |
| lots of dayflowers. | |
| Net als gisteren | Wie gestern wachsen |
| groeien er uit mijn takken -- | aus meinen Zweigen wieder -- |
| weer eendagsbloemen. | viele Tagblumen. |
Amsterdam, 2021-08-12
Dayflower: Virginia spiderwort, Tradescantia virginiana
Collection: Dearme
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk
|
Undressed, my nakedness |
Amsterdam, 2019-09-23
Sebastian from Narbonne - 288
Sebastian from Narbonne, died AD 288
Collection: More
|
Pyjama days of being ill with closed curtains thinking of being free with closed curtains enjoying each other Being ill is an ardent desire for sparkling energy sunlit rooms never sleep again sing, laugh, feed one another tirelessly and suffer at the most from the desire to be immortal with friends |
Amsterdam, 2019-03-21
Collection: Mosaic virus
|
With the inconveniences that |
Amsterdam, 2017-09-07
More than this (Roxy Music) - 1982
Song (album "Avalon")
Collection: On living on [1]
Tribute to: Roxy Music; Ferry, Brian
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk
| The film negative | |
| shows you the radiant light -- | |
| that shines from our eyes. | |
| Het filmnegatief | Das Filmnegativ |
| laat het stralende licht uit -- | zeigt das strahlende Licht aus -- |
| onze ogen zien. | unseren Augen. |
Train Amsterdam-Leiden, 2013-09-21
Collection: The Praised One
| Gathered around her | |
| coffin we are vigorous: | |
| birds of paradise. | |
| Verzameld om haar | Versammelt um sie |
| graf zijn wij vol levenskracht: | sind wir voller Lebenskraft: |
| paradijsvogels. | Paradiesvögel. |
Amsterdam, 2012-06-29
Mother's day of death June 29th, 2011, funeral July 2nd, 2011
Strelitzia reginae (Bird of paradise/Crane flowers) on the coffin
Collection: Life line
| Yesterday it rained, | |
| today they are still alive -- | |
| Not quite dayflowers. | |
| Gisteren regen, | Gestern nur Regen, |
| en vandaag leven ze nog -- | heute leben sie immer -- |
| de eendagsbloemen. | noch, die Tagblumen. |
Julianadorp, 2011-12-29
Dayflower: Virginia spiderwort, Tradescantia virginiana (Wellsberg, near Willisau)
Collection: Pending rain
|
The house is cleaned up |
Rovio, 2009-07-16
Collection: WoofWoof
Dedicated to: C W
