Il cavafossas

Notg freida
Glina pleina
Glisch marvla sur prada e prau
Tras feglia secca
Curdada per tiara
In lev vent sguschont
Circumdaus da mirs grischs
Il santeri bandunau
Ruaus etern
Craps-fossas en rimnada
Cruschs-fier ina sper l’autra
Fossas plein flurs scheladas
En in cantun
Ina fossa curclada cun dascha verda
E flurs emblidabucamei seccas
Ina candeila cun glisch brausla
En reuniun cun in um vegl
Sper la fossa
En schanuglias
Sco adina
Mintga notg avon ina sepultura
Stad ed unviern
Primavera ed atun
Da stgir e clar
In um brac e spussau
– Il cavafossa –
Cavels starschli
Manti isau penderliu entuorn sia membra
E sper el giun plaun
Zappun e badel
Ses fideivels cumpogns
Uaffens per sia stentusa lavur
Cun mauns a Diu
Els mauns flurs emblidabucamei
Seprofundaus en ses panzieris
Ella caulda glisch dalla glimera
In lev surrir sin sia fatscha

Primavera ei arrivada
Temps da deletg
Uals ramuran
Aviuls sussuran
Verdins flureschan
Ed els dus seleian giavinar dil cant legreivel
Ora sin las pradas plein colurs
Maun a maun spassegian els
Tras las flurs che segeinan el vent primavaun
Sieman da lur avegnir en dus
Contan da lur speronzas
Flurs emblidabucamei schenghegia el ad ella
Sco simbol da lur amur
Lur carezia
A semper

L’emprema fossa
Cul suadetsch dil cavafossas
La fossa dalla spusa
Morta el vischi alv
E suenter aschi bia fossas
Ruosnas stgiras
profundas
Vesend tonta malencurada
Tonta tristezia
Ses egls stgirs
Stgiraglia
En siu cor
En si’olma
Negina speronza pli
In schem dolurus sur ses levas
La sontga crusch
Sil frunt
Sil péz
Sillas schuialas
En siu staunchel maun
Zappun e badel
Cun pass pesonts
A l’autra vart dil santeri
Resignond
Selegrond sil daditg desiderau
El maun alzau
Il zappun
Tiara dira
Schelada
Entras siu peter suadetsch
La davosa fossa
Las flurs emblidabucamei crodan ella fossa
Ed ei tucca
Ei tucca da miert
Il zenn grond

Cold night
Full moon
Pale light over meadow and field
Through dry leaves
Fallen to the ground
A light wind slipping through
Surrounded by grey walls
The abandoned cemetery
Eternal rest
Gravestones in rows
Iron crosses, one beside the next
Graves filled with frozen flowers
In a corner
A grave covered with green fir branches
And withered forget-me-nots
A candle with flickering light
Together with an old man
Beside the grave
On his knees
As always
Every night before a burial
Summer and winter
Spring and autumn
In darkness and in light
A frail and weary man
– the gravedigger –
Tousled hair
A worn coat hanging loosely around his frame
And beside him on the ground
Pickaxe and spade
His faithful companions
Tools for his arduous work
His hands raised to God
Forget-me-nots in his hands
Lost in his thoughts
In the warm light of the flame
A faint smile on his face

Spring has arrived
A time of joy
Streams murmur
Bees hum
Gardens blossom
And the two let themselves be lured by the cheerful song
Out onto the meadows filled with colour
Hand in hand they walk
Through flowers swaying in the spring wind
Dreaming of their future together
Speaking of their hopes
He gives her forget-me-nots
As a symbol of their love
Their affection
For ever

The first grave
With the gravedigger’s sweat
The bride’s grave
Dead in a white coffin
And after that, so many graves
Dark pits
Deep
Seeing so much sorrow
So much sadness
His dark eyes
Darkness
In his heart
In his soul
No hope left
A painful groan upon his lips
The sign of the holy cross
Upon his forehead
Upon his breast
Upon his shoulders
Traced by his weary hand
Pickaxe and spade
With heavy steps
To the other side of the cemetery
Resigned
Awaiting what he had long desired
His hand raised
The pickaxe
Hard earth
Frozen
Through his bitter sweat
The final grave
The forget-me-nots fall into the grave
And it tolls
It tolls for the dead
The great bell

AI-assisted translation from Sursilvan