November 6, 2017
Some thoughts on autumn this week.
Yellow thoughts. 
Leaf thoughts. Soon to be falling, dropping, gliding, twirling, rustling and all around in motion – thoughts. Or hanging in suspension thoughts.
Here is Autumn, a Rilke poem in the original German, read by one of my favorites, Otto Sanders, speaking to the matter of falling leaves. (Rilke’s poem An Autumn Day is probably better known, but honestly borders on clichee for those of us who had to recite it during all of their childhood school years….)
I am attaching a couple of translations which go to show how hard it is to capture poetry in a different language. None of them comes close to the original which has a sense of futility and hope rolled all in one.
Photograph are from the last weeks in and around Portland.
Prelude to fall is behind us – we are in it; but here is a beautiful musical reminder of how it felt…..
kbmhartnett
Rich and perfect. Like a tapestry…words and just the right images.
Martha Ullman West
Agree wholeheartedly with above comment. Would add only that I prefer Bly’s translation, although I have no German, because I suppose I know Bly to be a poet with a poet’s sensibility toward translation.
Sara Lee
Wonderfully interesting posting, in all its many particulars!
Thank you, and happy (we can try!) fall….