The testament

Testamentet som rørte en hel verden

Da den gamle mannen døde på et sykehjem i en liten australsk by, antok pleierne at beboeren ikke hadde etterlatt seg noe av verdi. Men senere, da sykepleierne gikk gjennom hans svært få eiendeler, fant de et håndskrevet dikt ført i pennen av den gamle. Diktet var så velformulert og utfordrende at de ansatte straks kopierte det og distribuerte diktet til alle sykepleierne på sykehjemmet.

En av pleierne tok diktet med til Melbourne, og snart dukket testamentet fra den gamle mannen opp i flere magasiner i Australia. I dag har den gamles mannens visdomsord gått sin seiersgang over hele verden. Takket være internett.

Les også: Lev mens du kan

Jeg bringer diktet i originalversjon. For sikkerhets skyld har jeg laget en liten ordbok for eventuelle vanskelige ord. Les testamentet som rørte en hel verden, og la den gamles tanker synke inn over deg…

Ordforklaringer: dribbles his food = søler med maten / I don’t mourn = jeg sørger ikke / shudder with dread = gyser med skrekk / grace and vigour, depart = nåde og kraft forsvinner / brush aside = koste vekk / jest = spøk (slå mynt på noe, si noe for å være morsom)

A cranky old man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you’re looking at me?
A cranky old man . . . . . .not very wise?
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . … . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .’I do wish you’d try!’
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . a sock or a shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . … lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?

Is that what you’re thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse, you’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of ten . .with a father and mother,
brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he’ll meet.
A groom soon at twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
remembering the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don’t mourn.
At fifty, once more, .. …babies play ’round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future … . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . and the love that I’ve known.
I’m now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It’s jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass, a young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I’m loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man…
Look closer . . . . See .. … … … ME!

Husk dette når du møter et eldre menneske som du kanskje ikke bryr deg om – eller ser – uten at du ser hans eller hennes unge sjel. Glem ikke at de fleste av oss en gang i fremtiden kommer til å være i den gamle mannens situasjon. Trolig også du…!