Wislawa Szymborska, 'A Contribution to Statistics'

[med_cat]

Wislawa Szymborska, 'A Contribution to Statistics'

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.

by Wislawa Szymborska
English version by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak

(reposted from duathir in greatpoets; many thanks!)