Estonia, (b. 1956)
Poem of the Pig
- Stop, my friend, behold your brother
- See how he does not fuss or bother
- Humans think they know better too
- More often, they just play the fool
- Behind backs, its ducks and swerves,
- Sell out, suck blood, chew your nerves
- these bad thoughts, they need a re-jig!
- Pig’s more honest – he’s always pig.
- Original Estonia:
- Pea kinni sõber- vaata oma venda
- ta paigal on ei torma ega lenda
- ning inimesest just kui rohkem teaks
- kuid inime peab ennast kavalpeaks
- Teist püüab seljataga maha müüa
- verd imeda ja närve läbi süüa
- siis äkki mõtleb halba teha heaks
- on siga ausam- alati jääb seaks.
At the Market Hall is in the Estonian town of Tartu, this bronze statue “Pig” was unveiled outside the main entrance in January 2008 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Hall
The pig statue is standing on the tub that it will later lie in after slaughter. On one side of the tub is a tablet that shows the cuts of pork meat, numbered and inscribed on the pig, and on the other is the poem above in Estonian, by Indrek Hirv.
About the Poet:
Indrek Hirv, Estonia, (b. 1956), is a poet, translator and artist. In 1981 he graduated from State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR, where he studied ceramics. In 1988 he established Konrad Mägi Studio of the Tartu Art Association; being also the first director of this studio. Since 1985, he is a member of Estonian Artists’ Union and since 1991 Estonian Writers’ Union.
A porcelain painter and graphic artist, he has worked as an art school teacher in Tartu and a radio correspondent in Holland. He has been a passionate wanderer, lived in boat house in America and seen a lot of the Mediterranean. Since nineteen-nineties he is a professional writer. He has published over 30 poetry books that include his own works, translations and essays. [DES-05/22]