(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

A poem for the day; in German, inconveniently perhaps (though I know some of the flist speaks it); followed in any case by my attempt at a translation. In prose, and rather quick and dirty because my brain died and anyway I can't think of an appropriate rhyme for 'Golgotha.' Ma? Pa? Tcha.



Karfreitag

Verhangener Tag, im Wald noch Schnee,
im kahlen Holz die Amsel singt.
Des Frühlings Atem ängstlich schwingt,
geschwellt von Lust, beschwert von Weh.

So einsam steht und klein im Gras
das Krokusvolk, das Veilchennest.
Es duftet scheu und weiß nicht was,
es duftet Tod und duftet Fest.

Baumknospen stehn von Tränen blind,
der Himmel hängt so bang und nah.
Und alle Gärten, Hügel sind
Gethsemane und Golgatha.

Hermann Hesse

An ominious day, snow still in the wood,
in the bare timber the blackbird sings
The spring's breath is fearful,
swelled with desire, weighed down by pain

So lonely the crocus-people stand and small
In the grass, the nest of violets
It smells shy and I don't know what
It smells of death and smells of feast

Treebuds stand blind with tears
The sky/heaven hangs down frightened and close
And all gardens, hills are
Gethsemane and Golgotha

-an illustration of how things are lost in translation, if ever there was!

Question of the day: why are there so many different versions of 'Oh sacred head sore wounded' floating about? - answer, probably, because things get lost in translation. Of course, you could sing the phone book to the Passion Choral, and it would still be heartbreaking (somewhat less theologically meaningful, however!)

Comments

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

When I think "German" and "Charfreitag", my brain automatically supplies Du siehst, das ist nicht so...

And today the icon is most appropriate!

[sammee42.livejournal.com]

Lovely, thanks for sharing it. I love Hesse.

I wanted to discuss Anglo-Catholicism with you... throughout Lent I've been thinking about converting... :)