[Thanks to Signalroom.]
Poem #6 by Rainer Maria Rilke
I have faith in all those things that are not yet expressed.
I want to set free my most holy feelings.
What no one has dared to want
will be for me impossible to refuse.
If that is presumption, then, my God, forgive me.
However, I want to tell you this one thing.
I want my best work to be like a shoot,
with no anger and no timidity;
this is the way children love you.
With these ebbing tides, with these mouths
opening their deltas into the open sea,
with these returns, that keep growing,
I want to acknowledge you, I want to announce you,
as no one ever has before.
And if that is arrogance, then I will stay arrogant
for the sake of my prayer,
that is so sincere and solitary
standing before your cloudy forehead.
1 comment:
I hope it sounds not too pedantic, but his name is Rainer (NOT Ranier) Maria Rilke.
I have never seen his poems translated into English, and my English is not so good that I can say how "successful" it is. At least, I don't recognize the flowing rhythm of his original words.
However, in German I can feel his power to say something unsayable beyond words.
In case somebody wants to see the original, here it is:
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, vergib.
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 Hoffart, so laß mich hoffärtig sein
für mein Gebet,
das so ernst und allein
vor deiner wolkigen Stirne steht.
You can find his complete work "Das Stunden-Buch" (where this poem is a part of) at
www.gutenberg.org/files/24288/24288-h/24288-h.htm
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