1 there are no handles upon a language
2 whereby men take hold of it
3 and mark it sings for its remembrance.
4 It is a river, this language,
5 Once in a thousand years
6 Breaking a new course
7 Changing its way to the ocean.
8 It is mountain effluvia
9 Moving to valleys
10 And from nation to nation
11 Crossing borders and mixing.
12 Languages die like rivers.
13 Words wrapped round your tongue today
14 And broken to shape of thought
15 Between your teeth and lips speaking
16 Now and today
17 Shall be faded hieroglyphics
18 Ten thousand years from now.
19 Sing-and singing-remember
20 Your song dies and changes
21 And is not here to-morrow
22 Any more than the Wind
23 Blowing ten thousand years ago.
Note: the word effluvia in line 8 refers to streams flowing down from the rainfall or melted snow.