May: When the Center is Clear . . .

May: When the Center is Clear . . .
(click on image to enlarge)
"I live on the edge of the century's end.
One feels the wind of a tremendous leaf
that God and you and me have written upon
and that on high in distant hands turns."

from an early poem
by Rainer Maria Rilke

This week, an image from the Alps
called Clear Centers: The Eye
of the Moor.
Also: two new translations
from the German.

(click on image to enlarge)
	"I live on the edge of the century's end. One feels the wind of a tremendous leaf that God and you and me have written upon and that on high in distant hands turns." from an early poem by Rainer Maria Rilke This week, an image from the Alps called Clear Centers: The Eye of the Moor. Also: two new translations from the German.

The guest poems for this week are two new English translations from the early work of the German
language poet, Rainer Maria Rilke (from the Rilke website, a concise hyperlinked biography).

When the Center is Clear . . .

Clarity in poetry does not necessarily mean crisp, clear images.
Nor does it mean, as in science, for example, that relationships
must be made explicit. Rather, it seems to me that clarity in poetry
means a kind of strong resonance with what we might call truth
of vision, and images and structures which flow organically out
of this. Here we have two early Rilke compositions, one which
celebrates the newfound possibility of such clarity, and the other
which, in a most powerful voice, demands it:

[Ich lebe grad . . . ]

Ich lebe grad, da das Jahrhundert geht.
Man fühlt den Wind von einem großen Blatt,
das Gott und du und ich beschrieben hat
und das sich hoch in fremden Händen dreht.
Man fühlt den Glanz von einer neuen Seite,
auf der noch Alles werden kann.
Die stillen Kräfte prüfen ihre Breite
und sehn einander dunkel an.

Rainer Maria Rilke
(IX.22.1899, Berlin-Schmargendorf)

[I live on the edge . . .]

I live on the edge of the century's end.
One feels the wind of a tremendous leaf
that God and you and me have written upon
and that turns on high in distant hands.
One feels the shine of a pristine page
upon which everything can yet become.
The quiet powers test their breadth,
and attract the darkness in each other.

[Ich glaube an Alles noch nie Gesagte]

Ich glaube an Alles noch nie Gesagte.
Ich will meine frömmsten Gefühle befrein.
Was noch keiner zu wollen wagte,
wird mir einmal unwillkürlich sein.

Ist das vermessen, mein Gott, vergieb.
Aber ich will dir damit nur sagen:
Meine beste Kraft soll sein wie ein Trieb,
so ohne Zürnen und ohne Zagen;
so haben dich ja die Kinder lieb.

Mit diesem Hinfluten, mit diesem Münden
in breiten Armen ins offene Meer,
mit dieser wachsenden Wiederkehr
will ich dich bekennen, will ich dich verkünden
wie keiner vorher.

Und ist das Hoffahrt, so lass mich hoffährtig sein
für mein Gebet,
das so ernst und allein
vor deiner wolkigen Stirne steht.

(1899) Berlin-Schmargendorf
Rainer Maria Rilke

[I believe in everything not yet said]

I believe in everything not yet said.
I want to liberate my most devout feelings.
What no one has ever dared to desire,
will become in time for me necessity.

If that is unreachable, my Lord, then forgive me.
But I want to say to you only this:
The best of my energies shall be like a drive,
without anger and without timidity;
like the way that children love you.

With this overflowing, with this emptying
into the wide arms of the open sea,
with this ever-growing return,
I want to confess to you, I want to proclaim to you
as no other before me.

And if this is arrogance, then let me be arrogant
for the sake of my prayer,
that in such seriousness and aloneness
before your clouded brow stands.

(tr. Cliff Crego)

| view / print Picture/Poem Poster: I believe . . . | or download as PDF |

| see also the Rilke Posters |

| listen to other recordings in English and German of twelve poems from
The Book of Images at The Rilke Download Page (# Includes instructions) |

See other recent additions of new English translations of Rilke's poetry, together with
featured photographs at:

(25) February: Images from the Periphery of Time (with recordings)

(24) February: Mountain Spring (with recordings)

See also a selection of recent Picture/Poem "Rilke in translation" features at the Rilke Archive.

See also another website
by Cliff Crego:
The Poetry of
Rainer Maria Rilke

a presentation of 80 of the
best poems of Rilke in
both German and
new English translations:
biography, links, posters