Adam Cullen

anglais

A man’s world

vend sõitis klassiõe surnuks
tahtis head teha
lennujaama kohale sõidutada
oli udune öö
veoauto tagatuled ei põlenud

verised istmekatted seisid tema toas virnas

kukkus ja kadus aastateks
kartografeeris mäluaukude maad
loovutas viimsegi kopika
alaealiste plikade longdringise kaastunde eest

hiljem päästis ta juhus
korjas tänavalt üles
toppis taskud rahapabereid täis
nüüd ta tänutundega surmani kannab
muinasjutulist riigivõlga
kellegi teise eest

isa oli venna üle alati uhke
ikkagi mees

© Birk Rohelend
Production audio: Eesti Kirjanduse Teabekeskus [Estonian Literature Centre], 2014

A man's world

my brother killed a classmate in a car crash
he had meant well
wanting to drive her to the airport
it was a foggy night
the truck's tail lights weren't lit

the bloody seat covers sat in a heap in his room

he dropped off and disappeared for years
mapped the land of memory gaps
gave up his very last dime
for the long-drink sympathy of underage girls

he was later saved by chance
picked up off the street
had his pockets stuffed full of bills
now, he gratefully bears
fairy-tale state debt for someone else
until his death

dad was always proud of my brother
a man, all the same

Translated from Estonian by Adam Cullen