Science and art inspire each other to create new forms of expression. Here, at Science (in)Verse, we bring an unusual outcome of this encounter: science-inspired poetry. If you are feeling poetic, we welcome contributions!
In this edition of Science (in)Verse, Ben Zarov again plays with a poem, this time by Nobel Prize winner Wislawa Szymborskawith, matching her human with his mouse statistics.
Humans (the original):
“
A Contribution to Statistics
By Wislawa Szymborska
(English version by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak)
Out of a hundred people
those who always know better
— fifty-two
doubting every step
— nearly all the rest,
glad to lend a hand
if it doesn’t take too long
— as high as forty-nine,
always good
because they can’t be otherwise
— four, well maybe five,
able to admire without envy
— eighteen,
suffering illusions
induced by fleeting youth
— sixty, give or take a few,
not to be taken lightly
— forty and four,
living in constant fear
of someone or something
— seventy-seven,
capable of happiness
— twenty-something tops,
harmless singly, savage in crowds
— half at least,
cruel
when forced by circumstances
— better not to know
even ballpark figures,
wise after the fact
— just a couple more
than wise before it,
taking only things from life
— thirty
(I wish I were wrong),
hunched in pain,
no flashlight in the dark
— eighty-three
sooner or later,
righteous
— thirty-five, which is a lot,
righteous
and understanding
— three,
worthy of compassion
— ninety-nine,
mortal
— a hundred out of a hundred.
Thus far this figure still remains unchanged.
”
Murine:
“
A Contribution to Mouse Statistics
By Mouselawa Syzmborsqueak
Out of a hundred mice:
Those who always sense best
— forty-two,
doubting every skitter
— nearly all the rest,
glad to lend a paw
if it doesn’t take too long
— it remains to be tested,
always good
because they can’t be otherwise
— hmm, what’s good
in an animal?
Able to share water without envy
— eighty, just a guess,
suffering olfactory illusions
induced by aging
— sixty, give or take a few,
not to be restrained recklessly
— forty and four, (probably more),
living in constant fear
of… everything
— ninety-seven,
capable of happiness
— all of them, hopefully,
harmless singly, savage in crowds
— none,
cruel
when forced by circumstances
— not a single mouse
behaving only
on instinct,
wise after the fact
— hmm, what’s wisdom
in an animal?
Taking only food from life
— most
(I wish it was different),
euthanized,
in a plastic box,
— eighty-three
sooner or later,
fiercely curious
— ninety-five,
fiercely curious
and brave
— nine,
worthy of compassion
— ninety-nine plus one,
mortal
— a hundred out of a hundred.
Thus far this figure still remains unchanged.
”
Ben Zarov is thrilled to be a research technician in the Paton Learning Lab; in his spare time, he likes to read, wander Lisbon, and write poems.
Image credit: Ben Zarov
Loading Likes...
You must be logged in to post a comment.