Building and Builders

Builders are singing while building
            but building isn’t like singing.
It’s a little more difficult.

Builders’ hearts, bustling like fairgrounds
            but building sites are not fairgrounds.
Building sites are full of dust, earth,
            mud, snow.
On a building site you get your foot sprained,
                      your hands bleed.
On a building site,
neither is the tea always sweet and hot
nor is the bread fresh and soft
neither is everyone a hero
nor are friends always faithful.

Building isn’t like singing.
It’s a little more difficult.
Yes, difficult it is,
             but the building is rising regardless.
Flower pots have already appeared
                     on the windowsills of the lower floors.
The birds carry, on their wings, the sun
                     to the newly completed balconies.
There is a heartbeat
in every beam, in every column, in every brick
Yes, it is rising, it is rising
the building is rising in blood and sweat.

1955
Tr. by Cahit Baylav