Arka Noego [English translation]

In bright sun, in mid of summer

Among gentle waves of greenery

fervent work is in its full swing;

I am building a boat on dry ground

An insect shivers inside the blossoming flowerbud

A peasant wades through shoulder-high rye

And I, working day and night,

am already done with broadsides and planking

Build the ark before the flood!

Summon all your strength to do it!

Build the ark before the flood!

Even if the crowd will mock your work!

What's most precious, needs to be salvaged

And after all, there is so much of it already...

Build the ark before the flood!

Turn down any unneccessary gesture today

I have to build such a boat

That will fit whole life inside it

No one believes my words

Everybody has important news

Somebody's arguing about their wealth

Other smells out an easy prey

Before he wakes up from his dream

I'll have built the mast and helm

Build the ark before the flood!

Don't be beguiled by choir of fools!

Build the ark before the flood!

One can already hear the thunder of stormclouds

Leave your quarrels for later

For once put faith in premonitions!

Build the ark before the flood!

Before in the end it devours you

Each of us is a boat in which

one can fight back against the flood

And emerge whole from the stormy cloud

All one needs to do is believe in it

But in the downpour, thunder follows thunder

And the shout that raises alarm comes too late

And too late the mouths filled with mud

Spit out my warning together with it

"Build the ark before the flood!!!"

I hear as I steer into the heart of the waves

"Build the ark before the flood!!!"

Screams the one who earlier laughed

Build the ark before the flood

of our own tears shed over our fate

Build the ark before the flood!

For the first and last baptism

• Artist:Jacek Kaczmarski