DON’T BREAK UP THE GREAT LOG OF JOY

Saeimas nams (Parliament), Jēkaba Street 11

Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the birth of poet Ojārs Vacietis, the Parliament building will spend the Staro Rīga Festival of Light in tune with his poems.

Ojārs Vācietis
Don’t break up the great log of joy

Don’t break up sorrows!
They will divide themselves like amoebas.
In their billions
they meet in a tiny puddle of tears.
Don’t break up
the great log of joy
into a sliver for each of us!
Like fluttering eyelashes
the sliver fires slip by.

Go
to who and to those
to whom you must go
with a whole log of the joy
that you do not regret sharing.

If you have regrets, for God’s sake, don’t go anywhere!
Cleanse yourselves.
Wash yourselves.
In the blue sky.

Project concept: Lelde Rāfelde, Zane Rukmane
Project developer: Saeima Chancellery in partnership with Alpha SLS and Rihards Šešo
Project financed by Saeima Chancellery