Like a Statue (+ Udugi, fr, es, pt)

Every day I stand like a statue
and receive the touch
of the sun.
But what
do I give back?

nigadv iga ayv gadogase tlugv ginitloyi
ale agisdase asvnone
nvda vhnai.
aseno gadousdi
ayv vgalutsase?

ᏂᎦᏛ ᎢᎦ ᎠᏴ ᎦᏙᎦᏎ ᏡᎬ ᎩᏂᏠᏱ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᎩᏍᏓᏎ ᎠᏒᏃᏁ
ᏅᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ.
ᎠᏎᏃ ᎦᏙᎤᏍᏗ
ᎠᏴ ᎥᎦᎷᏣᏎ?

[Note: I don't know if Cherokee has a word for "statue," but Udugi does not. The Udugi version of the poem says, "I stand like a tree."]


Chaque jour je me tiens comme une statue
et je reçois le contact
du soleil.
Mais je redonne
quoi?

Todos los días me paro como una estatua
y recibo el toque
del sol.
¿Pero que
le devuelvo?

Todo dia eu fico como uma estátua
e eu recebo o toque
do sol.
Mas o que
eu retribuo?

Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler, ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.