Arany János - Győrei Zsolt (szerk.): The trill of the nightingale (Budapest, 2019)

V - „'Tis enough if it shines for me” - The Old Man and his Tambura (Thomas Cooper)

Each day he dusts it just the same, Each chord stirs faded memory,

A tone revives a florid verse,

Set to a German melody.

And thus he lives among his songs, Reviving memories as he plays Of people, places, tunes he’s learned, Since half-forgotten childhood days.

Sometimes he conjures up new tunes, But never stops to write them down, “Heard melodies, or only dreamt?”

He later wonders, with a frown.

He won’t get far now with his songs, Forgets one with each passing day,

He doesn’t play for laurels though,

Just tries to keep the cold at bay.

So practice, then, what you once knew, It may be of some use someday,

If hard times hit, put out your cap Perhaps a coin will hap your way.