Ernst van Heerden
Ernst van Heerden was a leading Afrikaans poet.
Born in Pearston, Eastern Cape, South Africa, he was an openly gay academic famous for his poems on sport. He matriculated at Grey High School, Port Elizabeth. In 1948 he received a silver medal in the Olympic Games International Poetry Competition for Ses gedigte/''Six poems''. He held the degrees of M.A., D.Litt. et Phil., Hon.D.Litt., Hon D.Litt.. He was an emeritus professor of Afrikaans and Nederlands at Wits. He also lectured at the University of Stellenbosch from 1943 to 1959. His hobby was the collection of South African works of art. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Hofmeyr prize for poetry in 1975.
Poems
- Die Hardloper
Poetry Translations
Die Hardloper
The RunnerWith wild but pure heart
he fiercely began the ferocious race,
and challenged every mile with fast feet,
he would beat the fastest runners.
His heart beating fast,his blood was hot,
the wind blowing his hair;
with a sprint he measured the track,
the joy of strong muscles was on his face.
He walked with urge to storm in his blood,
his mouthful of air a warm gust of wind,
the sea's waves in his strained courage,
then he had already heard the dark, bitter question:
Who is the unseen friend in the walk,
from who is the foot next to his and the wind
of breath behind him, from who comes the hope
that another breast might find the thin white ribbon?
He doesn't know the strange teammate,
he never ran again with pain or fear;
he knows even though he won the race now,
the other man will one day be first.
The poem is generally understoo
d as a metaphor for death catching up to oneself. The "runner" runs his race with pure and positive attributes, but later is joined by an "unknown stranger" representing death catching up to him. Where the poem ends with the idea that death may one day, win the race.