Watching an interview between a theatre director, former actor who sometimes still likes to be on the stage, and a stylish male TV host, I admire their confidence and humour during the Thursday evening cultural program on TV. They sit in one of the most famous second-hand bookstore in Tallinn and the interview touches upon the topic of memory and poetry. The seventy year old theatre director says that he remembers one Shakespeare sonnet that he learned in high school, and to prove it, he recites the sonnet as if it is the most natural thing to remember. The eyes and the eyebrows of the host speak of admiration.
To follow this hte host says, "And don't we all remember..." and names an Estonian poet and a name of a poem and the two men recite the short poem together.
My inner child jumps up with recognition. I thought this poem had been part of my history only. When I was in first grade, I recited this poem in front of a large crowd on a stage of an old concert hall that my school had rented for a spring concert. I remember feeling confident, reciting it exactly as I had practiced and receiving a warm applause.
The rough translation of Paul-Eerik Rummo's poem "First Calf" goes like this:
I stand on spraddled legs
I have big eyes and a funny tail
and I don't want to go behind the fence
The"going behind a fence" is a famous idiom in Estonian. The saying "first calf always goes behind a fence" means that the first attempts often get messed up or fail altogether. I identified myself with the first calf since I was the oldest child in the family. I think my parents can say their "first calf" turned out pretty ok.
I like this image of “behind the fence.” Maybe we continue to put ourselves behind the fence as we put ourselves out in the world as writers with wobbly legs
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun to have this shared memory of things- knowing that in houses all over Estonia children have learned that poem. Thanks for explaining the idiom- I am always fascinated by idioms- they contain so much culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erika. Idioms are facinating. Thanks also for naming the city. I immediately used google maps to see where this town is. I love how this writing community helps widen my world. Your Slice today helps me hear both a TV exchange and a 1st grade performance in your lovely country of Estonia. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is so cool. Love the poem and the idea behind it. Love the cultural history and how you led us to the poem.
ReplyDeleteI lie ow you realized that this poem is part of others' childhood memories. I think many of us have a poem they remember from childhood. One poem I remember is Longfellow's I shot an arrow into the air... arjeha
ReplyDeleteI love how understood it at such a you age and how you remembered the effect it had on you.
ReplyDeleteIdioms can be fun. When I read your translation and the meaning, I thought of an idiom about calves that my husband (from a ranching family) often uses: "Like a calf looking at a new gate."
ReplyDeleteOh wow that's amazing you still remember the poem! It's cool how something we see/hear triggers a memory from our past. The only things I remember of first grade were my teacher, what the classroom looked like, but I don't remember any of the lessons we did.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely, to have this charming poem resurrected in your memory!
ReplyDeleteOur expression is “the first pancake.” You know, the messed up one to test the griddle? I remember being shocked when a friend referred to her oldest son as the first pancake! But I love the image of this gangly new calf.