Happy Birthday Aislinn! (Oud geboren)

I'm coming to regret that I mentioned summer in the last post—the phrase "don't count your chickens..." comes forcefully to mind—for today (and yesterday, and tomorrow, they say) has been absolutely vile in many parts of Japan, certainly here in Kobe. Until this morning, walking up the hill to Kobe College, I hadn't realized that it was possible to get wet in two directions at once, the drenching rain meeting the soaking sweat halfway. This punishment continued pretty much unabated all day, the only consolation being the view from our bedroom window during a brief lull about an hour ago: looking down from above the cloud is miles (well, several hundred yards) better than sitting inside it.

I hope that climatic conditions are more radiant and cheerful in Carnalea, Co, Down for my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Aislinn! I hope too that this post will serve in lieu of a card, and—in place of a present—find below a poor translation of a beautiful Dutch song by Veldhuis & Kemper (Oud geboren 'born old'). 

(You don't have to know Dutch to enjoy this music, as evidenced by the fact that Julian's very favourite song, which he chooses on my ipod almost every day, is another one by the same artists Ik wou dat ik jou was 'I wish I were you'; there's a longer post coming about this sometime soon. You do need not to be too cynical, though; it has a corrosive effect on all sincerity.

Click to play

Oud geboren 

     Born Old

Waarom word je niet oud geboren

   Why aren't you born old
zodat het leukste nog komen gaat?

   So that the best things are still to come?
Alles ging dan achterstevoren

   Then everything would be the other way around
en was te vroeg te laat.

   And too early would be too late.

Dan was je je onschuld nooit verloren.

  Then you would never have lost your innocence
Kreeg je die juist aan het einde terug

  You'd get it back right at the end
en was je wijsheid al geboren

   And you'd be born with wisdom
je toekomst al achter de rug.

   And your future would lie behind your back.

Je elke dag weer iets naïever bent
  You become more naive with each passing day
en alles is leuk, want je bent niets gewend.

  And everything is great, for you're not accustomed to anything
Tegen het einde goedgelovig en klein,

  And towards the end trusting and small
zodat ik niet als de dood voor de dood hoef te zijn.

  So that I don't have to be like death before death (?)

....

Dan zag je je lijf steeds sterker worden.

Then you'd see body grow steadily stronger
Had je je jeugd nog voor de boeg.

If your youth was on your prow

  
Alles kwam goed wat ooit ontspoorde

Whatever derailed would get back on track
en was te laat te vroeg.

And whatever was too late would be too early.

Als ik dan 16 ben geworden,

  Then, when I turned sixteen
voer ik m'n laatste strijd.

  I'd fight my last battle
Verlies ik opnieuw mijn wilde haren,

  I'd lose my wild hair again
maar nu in m'n puberteit.

  But now in my puberty

Beter nog, ik wil heen en weer.

   Better still, I'd go to and fro
Bijna sterven en dan nog een keer.

   Nearly die, then go back again
Hoe het ook gaat, ik wil een zachte dood,

   However it goes, I want a gentle death
zodat ik in kan slapen,

   So that I can fall...
in kan slapen

   fall...
in kan slapen in m'n moeders schoot.

   fall asleep in my mother's lap.

Leuk.