Monday, February 12, 2007

Rilke Poem

I hurt so bad. I saw you pale and scared.
This was in my dream. And your soul pealed.

Very softly, my soul resonated with yours
and both souls sang each other. I suffered.

Then, joy, deep inside me. I lay
in that silver heaven between dream and day.

my loose translation of:

Mir war so weh. Ich sah dich blass und bang.
Das war im Traum. Und deine Seele klang.

Ganz leise tönte meine Seele mit,
und beide Seele sangen sich. Ich litt.

Da wurde Friede tief in mir. Ich lag
im Silberhimmel zwischen Traum und Tag.

Rainer Maria Rilke, from Advent (1898)

2 comments:

Alison Croggon said...

Another Rilke lover?

Diese Muhsal, durch noch Ungetanes
schwer and wie gebunden hinzugehn,
gleicht dem ungeshaffnen Gang des Schwanes...

(Sorry, couldn't do the umlaut)

Lovely poem, Daniel. Thanks.

our man in berlin said...

thanks Alison...yes, a deep love of Rilke. Sticking with his young stuff while I get more confident with the translation thing and the writing thing...slowly slowly!