Hesiod

This poem originally appeared in EuropeNow, on 21 November 2023.

When the world was young
Places did not exist
Earth heaven ocean
Stood side by side
In every direction

Humans lived all together
Their surroundings were the same
And their days were alike
The horizon veiled no unknown
And there was no ignorance
For there was nothing to discover
Nothing to imagine wish or hope for
Everything was there once and for all
And time itself seemed asleep

Then one morning ocean stirred
Waves rose up
And shot their spray into the air
The horizon became a seething mass
An opaque fog covered the land
A terrific tremor was felt
And thousands of children ran
Laughing down the mountains
Three thousand river gods
Three thousand water nymphs
And the children took possession of the world
And the children redrew the world
Humans joined them and ran beside them
Humans asked them who they were
And the children answered
Singing them their names

And on that springtime morning
A morning that every morning
Is nostalgic for
Every corner of the earth
Sounded a name echo
And it was like a crystal rain
Enchanting the landscape
As wherever a name was heard
A world appeared in its image
And humans loved these names
And held them like treasures
And humans loved these worlds
And started to call them their own

And in that precious moment
Of which every moment is heir
At that unique instant
When the world became many
You were already there
One among thousands
Unaware of your destiny
Unaware of everything
But with your open eyes
​
Europe