Napkorong

Albert Gordon Greene:
A JÓ ÖREG GRIMES

A jó öreg Grimes, ím, halott,
Nem látjuk újra már;
Egy hosszú, gyászos slafrokot
Hordott, mely gombra zár.

A szíve napként volt nyitott,
Érzése mind igaz;
A haj rajt’ őszre sandított,
S volt copfba kötve az.

Mindenkivel békére lelt,
Barát volt, hű, derék;
A slafrokján zsebet viselt,
A nadrág rajta kék.

Kereste, mint lehet szerény,
De érdemet becsült;
Nem járt eszében rossz, de tény:
Ingén csipkét se tűrt.

Nem sértett ő szomszédokat,
Társakkal vígan élt;
Cipőjén jó nagy kapcsokat
Viselt, s nap-nap cserélt.

Tudása? Arról hallgatott,
Köznek fel nem fedi;
Gyűlésnapokon sem csapott
Zajt, mint sok helybeli.

Nem szórta földi javait
Kihívni Fortunát,
De élt (lásd összes bátyjait)
Ő minden vészen át.

Nem lévén gond-baj, terhelő,
Így élt ő csendesen,
Mondták is mind: előkelő
Volt, régi dzsentlemen...
____________________________

OLD GRIMES

Old Grimes is dead; that good old man,
We ne’er shall see him more;
He used to wear a long, black coat,
All buttoned down before.

His heart was open as the day,
His feelings all were true;
His hair was some inclined to gray,
He wore it in a queue.

He lived at peace with all mankind,
In friendship he was true;
His coat had pocket-holes behind,
His pantaloons were blue.

He modest merit sought to find,
And pay it its desert;
He had no malice in his mind,
No ruffles on his shirt.

His neighbours he did not abuse,
Was sociable and gay;
He wore large buckles on his shoes,
And changed them every day.

His knowledge, hid from public gaze,
He did not bring to view,
Nor make a noise town-meeting days,
As many people do.

His worldly goods he never threw
In trust to fortune’s chances,
But lived (as all his brothers do)
In easy circumstances.

Thus undisturbed by anxious cares
His peaceful moments ran;
And everybody said he was
A fine old gentleman.

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