Rokam, kuras vienmer prata

Tik daudz spet un padarit,

Atputu lauj velti liegu,

Lai tas Dieva miera dus

I just found the above in a book I gave and got back from our late friend Lilita Lukes.

If someone can identify it and translate it would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Alana

To hands that always knew how
To do so much and to complete everything,
Permit them the the gentle gift of repose,
Let them sleep in God’s peace.

I don’t know the source.

Thanks a lot, Specs

It goes on:

Sap atminas, sap tuksa vieta,
Kaut liktens mums visiem viens;
Kad muza ktaa diezgen ieta,
Ta pertruskst it ka pauediens.

Tas Kungs ir stiprums
dzivajiem un mirusajiem.
Par kaliem aiztraue dziesma,
Klusi take jzgaisis;
Atminas ka kvelad ;ord,sd.
,ixs, dotfo mrxifod/

Atluj, diza Zemas mate,
T’avu tku tecetajam
Tava klepi atgulties,
Salda miera atpusties.

Tev zeme bij sveta, kur piedzimi,
Tev valoda mila, ko runaji,
Tik talos celos pagura kajas,
Un svesa mala apstajas sirds.

Alana, I do not know much of the Latvian language as my father never taught me but from the English translation, what a beautiful first verse. I hope someone will translate the rest into English so that I can read it.

Sap atminas, sap tuksa vieta,
Kaut liktens mums visiem viens;
Kad muza taka diezgen ieta,
Ta pertruskst it ka pavediens.

The memories hurt, the emptiness hurts,
Even though we all have the same fate;
When the path of life has been trod enough,
It breaks like a thread.

Tas Kungs ir stiprums
dzivajiem un mirusajiem.
Par kaliem aiztraue dziesma,
Klusi take jzgaisis;
Atminas ka kvelad ;ord,sd.
,ixs, dotfo mrxifod/

The Lord is strength
to the living and to those already passed.
(..the rest isn’t written out properly - words don’t make sense-
something about ..song..memories..)

Atlauj, diza Zemas mate,
T’avu taku tecetajam
Tava klepi atgulties,
Salda miera atpusties.

Please allow me, oh great Earth Mother,
I, who have followed the paths set by you,
To lie down in your lap,
To rest in sweet peace.

Tev zeme bij sveta, kur piedzimi,
Tev valoda mila, ko runaji,
Tik talos celos pagura kajas,
Un svesa mala apstajas sirds.

The land was sacred to you, where you were born,
The language was dear to you, which you spoke,
Only in your far-flung travels your feet grew weary,
And on a distant shore your heart ceased to beat.

Ilze, thanks so much for this.  As I was transcribing from our late friend Lilita’s handwriting, I may have made several errors, not to mention I could not add the appropriate accents.

As Lilit was a great fan of poetry and prayer, she would often save things that moved her, as I found in another notebook, when she copied e.e. cummings poem, (e.e. being one of her favourite English language poets), which I will share here, on love.

love is more thicker than forget

love is more thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail

it is most mad and moonly
and less it shall unbe
than all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea

love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive

it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky