Second Elegy by Nichita Stanescu

A god was set up in every hollow.

If a crack appeared in a stone, they
swiftly brought up a god and laid him in.

If a bridge collapsed, then a god
would appear where that used to be,

and whenever a small hole turned up in the asphalt
it would be filled in with a god right away.

I’m warning you, don’t ever slice a hand or a leg
anywhere by accident or for any reason!
They’ll lay a god in the wound immediately
as they’ve already done everywhere else.
They’ll set up a god there, just right
for us to worship, because he protects
all things that are separated from themselves.

And soldier, the most important thing of all is, don’t ever lose an eye!
Because someone will requisition a god
and insert it into the socket,
and then he’ll sit throned there stiff as a stone
and our souls will all go in circles around him…
and even you will convince your soul to worship him
as we worship strangers.

Translated by Robert Bly and Alexander Ivasinc