Whoever worked on me with two withered hands
I undo with three green ones.
Whoever worked on me with five withered hands
I undo it with five green ones.
...
Whoever worked on me with six withered hands
I undo it with eight green ones
and with my ten fingers
may the heart stay ever cold
within the one who gave this to me
within the one who cast this on me.
— Good morning, flowing water.
— Thank you, N
sit with us, since you've come.
— I didn't come to sit
but I heard you have three daughters:
one washes for you
one sweeps for you
and one spins for you.
The one who washes, let her wash
the fapt and the givings from me
from my face
from my speech
from my carriage
from my clothes.
The one who sweeps, let her sweep
the giving, the fapt, the hatefulness
from my face
from my speech
from my carriage
from my clothes.
The one who spins, let her turn them
take them and cast them
the givings, the fapt
into his speech
into his clothes
onto his face
onto his door.
— Good morning, white walking water.
— Thank you, N.
Sit with us, since you've come.
— I won't sit
for I didn't come to sit
but I heard you have a little she-dog
that licks and brushes.
1
Give her to me, I pray you
so she will lick off the fapt
the givings
the hate
the growls
the howls.
2
Have her lick them off me
3
off my clothes
and off my footpaths
off my dishes
off the corners of my house.
Let her go from ford to ford
as far as the ninth village
let her go and vomit
on the head of who cast on me.
There let her vomit
in their hearth
on their clothes
in their face.
And if it came from the Lord
let it flow on valleys and brooks.
And let me remain clean, luminous
like strained silver.
