Death Is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it was always.
Let it spoke without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever said.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.
All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
We shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
Die Dood Is Onbelangrik
Die dood is onbelangrik.
Dit verander niks.
Ek het na die volgende kamer geglip.
Niks het gebeur nie.
Alles bly soos dit was.
Ek is ek, en jy is jy,
en die ou lewe wat ons so lieflik saam geleef het,
is onaangeraak, onveranderd.
Wat ons ook al was, is ons steeds.
Roep my met die ou bekende naam.
Praat met my op jou maklike manier.
Verander nie jou stemtoon nie.
Dra geen gedwonge plegtigheid of hartseer nie.
Lag soos ons altyd gelag het vir die grappies wat ons saam geniet het.
Speel, glimlag, dink aan my, bid vir my.
Laat my naam altyd die huishoudelike woord wees wat dit altyd was.
Laat my naam sonder moeite gesê word, sonder ‘n skaduwee.
Die lewe is alles wat dit ooit beteken het.
Dit is dieselfde as wat dit ooit was.
Daar is absolute en ononderbroke aaneenlopenheid.
Wat is hierdie dood, maar ‘n weglaatbare verskynsel?
Hoekom moet ek vergete wees omdat ek buite sig is?
Ek wag op jou vir ons weersiens,
Iewers baie naby,
Net om die draai.
Alles gaan goed.
Niks het verander nie; niks is verlore nie.
Een kort oomblik en alles sal wees soos voorheen.
Ons sal lag vir die tydelike afskyding as ons weer ontmoet!
