"It's scary how these tree giants are slowly dying, yesterday morning a little redness was still visible at the top of their crown, today the whole tree is covered in a fiery color, as if a Bengal fire was burning among its leaves. One learns humility from the patience of the giants, as these chestnuts and sycamores endure the autumn: they stand in one place without moving, and in the morning the debris that fell during the night stands around their feet like a yellow puddle. The loneliness of plants is terrible, a hundred times that of humans, and their lonely death is a thousand times more pitiful. All our troubles and worries are dwarfed here under these trees. Just as they can't laugh, I can't either, and I can't wait for my fate like they do.
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Author
Örkény IstvánAll Translations
All Translations
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It's scary how these tree giants are slowly dying, yesterday morning a little redness was still visible at the top of their crown, today the whole tree is covered in a fiery color, as if a Bengal fire was burning among its leaves. One learns humility from the patience of the giants, as these chestnuts and sycamores endure the autumn: they stand in one place without moving, and in the morning the debris that fell during the night stands around their feet like a yellow puddle. The loneliness of plants is terrible, a hundred times that of humans, and their lonely death is a thousand times more pitiful. All our troubles and worries are dwarfed here under these trees. Just as they can't laugh, I can't either, and I can't wait for my fate like they do.
""Ijesztő, ahogy ezek a faóriások lassan haldokolni kezdenek, tegnap reggel még a koronájuk csúcsán volt észrevehető egy kis vörösség, ma már az egész fát átlengi valami rőt szín, mintha bengáli tűz égne a lombjai között. Az ember alázatot tanul a gigászok türelmétől, ahogy ezek a gesztenyék és platánok az őszt elviselik: moccanás nélkül, egy helyben állnak, s reggelre, mint egy sárga tócsa áll a lábuk körül az éjjel lehullott avar. A növények magánya rettenetes, százszorosa az emberének, és magányos haláluk ezerszer olyan szánalomra méltó. Minden bajunk, gondunk eltörpül itt e fák alatt. Ahogy ők nem tudnak nevetni, úgy nem tudok én sem, és a sorsomat bevárni sem tudom úgy, mint ők."