Until her last breath she enlarges
Her Oxford house
Built in Slavonic
Vowels and consonants

She polishes the corner-stones
Until their Anglo-Saxon shine
Begins to sing

Her death is like a short breath-stop
Under the distant limetrees of her friends

Cambridge, 5 June 1981

Translated by Peter Jay,
Anthony Rudolf and Daniel Weissbort

I would like to thank Anne Pennington for bringing me the poetry of Vasko Popa, which has changed my life.