Arc Publications logo

50 years at the cutting edge of poetry publishing

“A meeting point for poets of all latitudes”
— Víctor Rodríguez Núñez

Gintaras Grajauskas, from Six Lithuanian Poets

pasitrankęs po pasaulį

pasitrankęs po pasaulį, prakutęs
grįžo namo, dovanomis vežinas
naujoj mašinaitėj

tuoj visa plati giminė susėdo už stalo,
ragavo Jack Daniels ta proga, mandagiai
besiraukydami

keliauninkas, perleidęs pora stiklų
pervirš, kalbos pritrūkus, ėmė ir
pasidejavo

vokiečiai tvarkingi, airiai darbštūs,
olandai vaišingi, tik mes vieni, lietuviai,
išvis neturim kuo pasirodyt

tai tėvokas, sugraibęs lazdą, kaip
užsiautė anam per dantis

sakydamas: bet dabar tai ir tu jau
turėsi kuo prieš kitus pasirodyt

having traipsed about

having traipsed about and lined his pockets
he returned home, carrying presents
in a new car

right away the whole clan sat down around the table,
taking the opportunity to try the Jack Daniels, frowning
politely

after the globetrotter killed a few shots too many,
silence prevailed, and suddenly
he began to complain

the Germans are orderly, the Irish industrious,
the Dutch hospitable, only us Lithuanians
have nothing to flaunt

at that, an old geezer grabbed his walking stick,
slugged him across the mouth

saying: but you certainly
will have something to flaunt now