Favorite poems #5: Autumn Day (Herbsttag), by R.M Rilke

Portrait of the poet by Paula Modersohn-Becker, courtesy The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202

First of all, Rilke is one of my favorite poets, period. He was prolific like few others, and I like him mostly for the way he weaves internal emotion and external perceptions or description into one coherent image that somehow the poem lets you recreate in your head. His language is precise, making use of the full, detailed and nuanced vocabulary the German language makes available. As a result, they're difficult to translate into English. This website (http://www.thebeckoning.com/poetry/rilke/rilke4.html) had no fewer than 9 different translations, and I settled on the one that - to me - best captures the internal image that the German original paints. It's been hot and humid around where I live, and so I decided to pick a Fall-themed poem that gives us a break from the heat at least in our minds, and lets the wind blow through. Here we go:

Herbsttag

Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los.
Befiel den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gib ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.
Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.

(Rainer Maria Rilke)

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Now for the translation by M.D. Herter Norton:

Autumn Day

Lord, it is time. The summer was very big.
Lay thy shadow on the sundials,
and on the meadows let the winds go loose.
Command the last fruits that they shall be full;
give them another two more southerly days,
urge them on to fulfillment and drive
the last sweetness into heavy wine.
Who has no house now, will build him one no more.
Who is alone now, long will so remain,
will wake, read, write long letters
and will in the avenues to and fro
restlessly wander, when the leaves are blowing.

Thanks for reading!