#Foto
Photo: Hans Karssenberg

Rotterdam CityPoem: 2, Leopold

This line is placed on the façade of the ever popular Mediterranean hotel and restaurant Bazar in Rotterdam. It is a line from a poem by Leopold, who lived in Rotterdam: “In all things is a glance.”

And on the bottom of the night
      besides the sparkling light,
past the moon’s section
      and this scharply whettened sight,
in the emptiness of winterforest
      and in the hand twisting moaning
of branches carry their suffering souls
      to heaven in desperation
in the dim flake snow
      between the lashes of the mist,
with weather soft and about to rain
      behind bars full of yeast,
in the garden’s wet corners
      near destitute rose bushes
appeared on the plastered wall
      under ivy leaves’ claws
in unsteady air flame
      in the middle of the table round
stern down under the glass
      in the loved mouths’ shadows,
in the chignon’s benches,
      in enchanted lines
of cheek and neck, dressed in pearls
      and in deep rubies of rings,
in all beings for themselves
      and unemphetic behaviour,
in emergence, stand still, continuation,
      in all things is a glance,
is something special intended
      and a soft glimpse turned out,
a quivering down nod of the brow,
      a watching and speaking in silence
this     and their bond
      and composition of thoughts,
this intent, earnestness
      you know it, o you do know it.

About the author

Jan Hendrik Leopold ('s-Hertogenbosch, 1865 - Rotterdam, 1925) was a Dutch poet and classicist. He settled in Rotterdam in 1892. He taught classics at the Erasmiaans Gymnasium. At the current Gymnasium (the former one became the World Trade Centre), a bronze portrait in stone relief commemorates Leopold, accompanied by one of his poems.

Leopold was also a legend in Rotterdam. His colleague Nijhoff wrote that he had ‘completely withdrawn from public life; that on the Coolsingel, in order not to be recognized, he folds open a paper in front of him, when an acquaintance approaches; that he does not see or greet anyone and avoids all contact’. This myth is typical of his poems.

He did not publish a lot, and did not promote his writings. Nonetheless he was very highly admired and respected among his colleagues, such as Nijhoff, Gorter, Bloem, Van Eyck, A. Roland Holst and Willem Kloos. Nijhoff even suggested him for the Nobel prize.

Sources: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.H._Leopold, http://www.kb.nl/dichters/leopold/leopold-01.html and http://meandermagazine.net/magazines/moz160.html. 

Line from one of Leopold’s poems at the current Erasmiaans Gymnasium, photos Jeroen Laven.

Zie, zie, wat mag er achter zijn?
See, see, what could be behind it?

Text in Dutch

2, Leopold

En op den bodem van de nacht,
      bezijden fonkeling van licht,
voorbij de snede van de maan
      en deze scherp gewette zicht,
in leegte van het winterwoud
      en in het handenwringend klagen
van takken die hun zieleleed
      in wanhoop naar den hemel dragen,
in dofte van de vlokkensneeuw
      tusschen de wimpers van de mist,
bij zacht en druilend regenweer
      achter de traliën gegist,
in vochte hoeken van den tuin
      bij de berooide rozelaren
verschenen op de pleistermuur
      onder de klauw der klimopblaren,
in wankelende luchtervlam,
      te midden van de tafelronde
strak     onder in het glas,
      in schaduw van beminde monden,
in bochten van den zwaren wrong,
      in de betooverende lijnen
van wang en hals, in paarlendracht
      en in de diepe ringrobijnen,
in aller wezens voor zich doen
      en onnadrukkelijk gedrag,
in opkomst, stilstand, verdergang,
      in alles is een oogopslag,
is een bizonder iets bedoeld
      en is een zachte blik gebleken,
een trillend donzen wenkbrauwknik,
      een aanzien en in zwijgen
spreken dit     en hun verband
      en der gedachten samenstel,
dit meenen, ernst
      gij weet het, o gij weet het wel.

Source: http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/leop004verz04_01/leop004verz04_01_0020.htm

• Rotterdam (1) - mirroring the water of the Singel
• Rotterdam (2) - Surinam's national poem
• Rotterdam (3) - on waste disposal trucks
• Rotterdam (4) - Lucebert's neon poem
• Rotterdam (5) - Rotterdam's night mayer Deelder
• Rotterdam (6) - for the visitors of Blaak market
• Rotterdam (7) - on a children's hospital
• Rotterdam (8) - by Leopold
• Rotterdam (9) - haikus on the pavement
• Rotterdam (10) - boomp boomp