Méi stolz wéi s du
Wann s de mengs deng Eltere wären eppes Besseres wéi meng,
Wann s de agebilt stolzéiers a parléiers fäin a streng,
Wann s de houfreg op däi Geld bass oder op däi Succès fou —
Ma da stinn ech dir an näischt no: Well ech si méi stolz wéi s du!
Wann s de mengs, dass däi Beruff jo vill méi nobel wéi mäin ass,
Dass de mir wat wonnesch Gudds dees wann s de frëndlech mat mir bass,
Wann s de fënns, dass all meng Kleeder schappeg sinn, an deng de Clou —
Trau dech net, dat haart ze soen: Well ech si méi stolz wéi s du!
Wa mir eis emol begéinen — du mam schicke Frënd am Aarm
An du dech ze vill genéiers, mech mat him bekannt ze man,
Wann eis Frëndschaft net méi wäert ass, geet mer dat sou op de Sou —
An du kanns mech ganz vergiessen, well ech si méi stolz wéi s du!
Wann s de ëmmer fäin a brav waars, däin CV perfekt a riicht
Wärend all de Leit bekannt ass, wat ech soss alt esou gestiicht,
Bleif ewech, éier meng Gesellschaft dengem Numm nach schiedlech wier,
Gläich a gläich gesellt sech gär, an: ech hunn och mäi Stolz, mäin Här!
Hal deng gutt gemengte Rieden! Gold a Rang hu kee Gewiicht
fir eng Frëndschaft déi méi déif geet, Frëndschaft, déi de Stolz besiegt!
Bitt mer dat als gudde Frënd un — weis mer, dass d'et Eescht mengs nu
Domat kriss de mech dach ëmmer: Ech sinn net sou stolz wéi s du!
Den Henry Lawson war a viller Hisiicht a Mann tëscht zwee Welten. Obwuel hien als de groussen Dichter vum australeschen Outback gefeiert gëtt, huet en dach déi meescht Zäit vu sengem Liewen a Stied gewunnt. En ass an engem einfachen Zelt an engem Goldgriewerlager op d'Welt komm, an dach hat e vu klengem un e staarke Bezuch zur Literatur: Seng Mamm, d'Schrëftstellerin Louisa Lawson, war d'Begrënnerin vun The Dawn, der éischter australescher Zeitung, déi ausschliisslech vu Frae publizéiert an alimentéiert gouf, a vermuttlech huet de Lawson säin dichterescht Talent, seng schaarf Beobachtungsgab a seng Fräiheetsléift hir ze verdanken.
Den Henry war e scheit a rouegt Kand, dat léiwer fir sech eleng gelies oder Gedichter geschriwwen huet, wéi mat deenen aneren an d'Schoul ze goen. Duerch d'Folgen vun enger Oureninfektioun ass hien mat véierzéng Joer bal vollstänneg daf ginn. Och no senger Hochzäit 1896 ass den Henry Lawson e wanderlëschtegen, onrouege Geescht bliwwen. Déi jonk Famill huet hiert Gléck an engem Goldgriewerlager a Westaustralie probéiert, mä wéi hinnen d'Geld ausgaang ass, si se zréck op Sydney gefuer, wou sech de Lawson mat zwee Kuerzgeschichtebänn schonn e gewëssen Numm als Schrëftsteller gemaach hat. Kuerz drop ass säin éischte Gedichtband The Days When the World was Wide erauskomm. Fir hire Mann vu senge Frënn ewech ze kréien, déi e schlechten Afloss op seng Drénkgewunnechten haten, ass d'Bertha mat der Famill fir d'éischt an eng ofgeleeë Géigend an Neuseeland geplënnert, wou de Lawson eng kuerz Zäit Schoul gehalen huet. Am Joer 1900 si si mam Schëff an Europa gefuer an hunn zwee Joer zu London gewunnt. Obwuel de Lawson e gewëssen Erfolleg als Schrëftsteller do hat, hu seng Alkoholproblemer a konstant finanziell Schwieregkeeten d'Bestietnes op eng schwéier Prouf gestallt a kuerz nodeems se erëm zréck an Australie waren, hu se sech scheede gelooss. De Lawson huet sech doropshin vollstänneg a säi Schreiwe gehäit, a seng Fräiheet ass just vun Zäit zu Zäit duerch en Openthalt am Prisong vun Darlinghurst ënnerbrach ginn, deen en dem Ëmstand ze verdanken hat, dass en den Ënnerhalt fir seng Fra a Kanner net ëmmer bezuele konnt. Méi Detailer iwwert dem Henry Lawson säin turbulent Liewen fënnt een am Bertha Lawson senge Memoiren My Henry Lawson, déi 1948 erauskomm sinn.
Obwuel de Lawson schonn zu Liefzäiten e bekannte Schrëftsteller war, huet hien sech dach ëmmer de buedemstännege Farmeren a Goldgriewer, déi en a senge Gedichter veréiwegt huet, méi verbonne gefillt wéi deene vu sech agehollene Stater Leit, déi seng Bicher gelies hunn. An dach huet hien, wéi all Schrëftsteller, iergendwou dach och senge Lieser hir Unerkennong gebraucht. Dës widderspréchlech Gefiller exploréiert hien an dësem herrlech offenhäerzegen a perspicace Gedicht op eng bewonnernswäert subtil an einfühlsam Manéier.
A Prouder Man than You
If you fancy that your people came of better stock than mine,
If you hint of higher breeding by a word or by a sign,
If you're proud because of fortune or the clever things you do —
Then I'll play no second fiddle: I'm a prouder man than you!
If you think that your profession has the more gentility,
And that you are condescending to be seen along with me,
If you notice that I'm shabby while your clothes are spruce and new —
You have only got to hint it: I'm a prouder man than you!
If you have a swell companion when you see me on the street,
And you think that I'm too common for your toney friend to meet,
So that I, in passing closely, fail to come within your view —
Then be blind to me for ever: I'm a prouder man than you!
If your character be blameless, if your outward past be clean,
While 'tis known my antecedents are not what they should have been,
Do not risk contamination, save your name whate'er you do —
'Birds o' feather fly together': I'm a prouder bird than you!
Keep your patronage for others! Gold and station cannot hide
Friendship that can laugh at fortune, friendship that can conquer pride!
Offer this as to an equal — let me see that you are true,
And my wall of pride is shattered: I am not so proud as you!
Henry Lawson was in many ways a man between two worlds. Known as one of Australia's great bush poets, he nevertheless spent the majority of his life in towns. Although born in a simple tent in a miners' camp, Lawson was introduced to literature at a young age. His mother, poet Louisa Lawson, was the founder of The Dawn, the first Australian newspaper produced entirely by women authors, and he might well owe her his poetic talent, sharp wit and independent spirit.
In his youth, Henry was a shy and quiet child who preferred solitary reading and penning verses to classes at school. An ear infection which he contracted as a child left him almost completely deaf by the age of fourteen. Even after his marriage in 1896, Henry Lawson remained a wanderer and a searching soul. The young family planned to set up camp in Western Australia as gold miners but when the money ran dry, they returned to Sydney where Henry had already made a name for himself as an author, having published two short prose collections, with his first poetry collection The Days When the World was Wide in the making. To keep her husband away from his drinking buddies, Bertha first moved the family to a remote settlement in New Zealand, where Lawson held a post as teacher. In 1900, they set sail for Europe and spent two years in London, where Lawson enjoyed some literary success. But his drinking and constant financial difficulties put a strain on the marriage and after their return to Australia, it soon broke up. Lawson now dedicated his life entirely to musing and writing, his freedom only interrupted by the occasional spell in Darlinghurst Gaol for his inability to pay the alimonies due to his wife and children. For more information on Lawson's erratic life, have a look at Bertha Lawson's memoirs My Henry Lawson, published in 1948.
Although Lawson enjoyed considerable literary acclaim during his lifetime, he always had a greater affinity for the sturdy farmers and miners whom he immortalised in his poems than for the conceited city folk who read his books. And yet, like all authors, he somehow craved his audience's approval. This wonderfully candid and perceptive poem explores these conflicting feelings in an admirably subtle and astute way.