Week 2 - Stages By Herman Hesse - a Second Translation Revised
As ev’ry flower wilts and ev’ry youngster 11
Must age, so manifests each stage of living, 11
All wisdom blossoms too and ev’ry virtue 11
Enjoys its time, and cannot last forever. 11
At ev’ry call of life, the heart of man should, 11
(Without regret and wrapped in heroism) 11
Embrace each new departure, each commencement, 11
And find your joy in life’s imagination. 11
There’s magic to be found at each beginning 11
That always shelters us and helps us prosper. 11
So let us calmly move from place to place then, 11
And cling to no abode as destined lodging, 11
God's “God” would never chain or confine dreaming, 11
But guides us toward still waters, greener pastures. 11
Beware though! Homelike shelters, creature comforts, 11
Can tempt the heart to let down its defenses. 11
Those bound to naught, at home with revolution, 11
May yet escape the worst of life’s bad habits. 11
Perhaps we’ll find that even hour of dying 11
Will challenge us with new and sweeter vistas? 11
Might life’s call to embark be never ending? 11
I think so! Heart! Lift up your eyes! Farewell then! 11
Herman Hesse – From his novel, The Glass Bead Game
Translation by Brian Johnston
Poet’s Notes:
This translation mimics Hesse’s poem by forcing each line to contain 11 syllables and ending and beginning each line with a soft rather than a hard syllable. But it ignores rhyming and uses fewer of Hesse’s original words. His meaning however is jealously guarded still! I always use a rhythmic notation such as follows next to work on original rhyming poems that I write. I think this technique greatly helps a poet to see the weaknesses in his early drafts. All poetry should make a supreme effort though I think to avoid “Poet Mouth,” to twist the normal flow of conversational English to make rhyme easier or to incorporate a familiar phrase the poet wants to use. Language flow should remain a sacred thing for any poet I believe.
Those who fault my using "ev'ry" (2 syllables) instead of "every" (3 syllables) should take note that even Hesse used a similar device in the 4th line of the 2nd stanza.
Stufen
Wie jede Blüte welkt und jede Jugend
- / - / - / - / - / - 11A
Dem Alter weicht, blüht jede Lebensstufe,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11B
Blüht jede Weisheit auch und jede Tugend
- / - / - / - / - / - 11A
Zu ihrer Zeit und darf nicht ewig dauren.
- / - / - / - / - / - 11C
Es muß das Herz bei jedem Lebensrufe
- / - / - / - / - / - 11B
Bereit zum Abschied sein und Neubeginne,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11D
Um sich in Tapferkeit und ohne Trauern
- / - / - / - / - / - 11C
In andre, neue Bindungen zu geben.
- / - / - / - / - / - 11E
Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11D
Der uns beschützt und der uns hilft, zu leben.
- / - / - / - / - / - 11E
Wir sollen heiter Raum um Raum durchschreiten,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11A
An keinem wie an einer Heimat hängen,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11B
Der Weltgeist will night fesseln uns und engen,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11B
Er will uns Stuf’ um Stufe heben, weiten.
- / - / - / - / - / - 11A
Kaum sind wir heimisch einem Lebenskreise
- / - / - / - / - / - 11C
Und traulich eingewohnt, so droht Erschlaffen,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11D
Nur wer bereit zu Aufbruch ist und Reise,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11C
Mag lähmender Gewöhnung sich entraffen.
- / - / - / - / - / - 11D
Es wird vielleicht auch noch die Todesstunde
- / - / - / - / - / - 11A
Uns neuen Räumen jung entgegensenden,
- / - / - / - / - / - 11B
Des Lebens Ruf an uns wird niemals enden . . .
- / - / - / - / - / - 11B
Wohlan denn, Herz, nimm Abschied und gesunde!
- / - / - / - / - / - 11A
Herman Hesse
Copyright ©
Brian Johnston
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