THE BELL

We the civil servants,
At nine o'clock, at twelve o'clock, at five o'clock,
Are among ourselves
On the avenues;
That's what Great God decreed for us.
We either wait for the bell
At the end of the day
Or the check
At the end of the month.




Orhan Veli
Translated by Murat Nemet-Nejat, 1989