hlo.hu

A great discovery here - an English-language site dedicated to Hungarian literature:

http://www.hlo.hu/

Alongside the numerous articles on Hungarian writers, there's poetry and short stories. Lots of 'em.

By way of an example, this is a poem by Péter Kántor, translated by Michael Blumenthal:


What Does God Need to Know?

God needs to know I’m counting on him,
that I need him,
that I trust him,

that he can count on me,
that he needs me,
that he can trust me,

that, however things may turn out,
he can’t behave like a bank manager
or a Prime Minister or a beauty queen,

that, however things may turn out,
I can’t behave like a bank manager
or a Prime Minister or a beauty queen,

that I don’t expect him to vacuum everywhere,
to shake the carpets, to go for a swim,
and to give up smoking,

that he shouldn’t expect me to vacuum everywhere,
to shake the carpets, to go for a swim,
and to give up smoking,

that he should take into consideration
that not only good things may have good consequences,
he shouldn’t want to be perfect
and shouldn’t want the world to be perfect either,

that I should take into consideration
that not only good things may have good consequences,
that I don’t want to be perfect
and don’t want the world to be perfect either,

that nonetheless there are limits,
that he shouldn’t think I forget to hold
the irredeemable things against him,

that nonetheless there are limits,
that I don’t think he forgets to hold
the irredeemable things against me,

that in the end, even if no one owes anyone anything,
he surely owes me
himself

that in the end, even if no one owes anyone anything,
I surely owe him
Myself.