Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Welcome to Odie's poetry corner. This wasn't part of the original idea for my website, but I was reading a poem from an old book I bought, and I became inspired to put up some poetry to amuse you people, including some of my own. And now, the inspirational poem, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (music supplied by Franz Schubert, if you can find it. hehe).
Der Erlkönig
Wer reitet so spät durch Nach und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er faßt ihn sicher, er hält ihm warm.
Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?
Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht?
Den Erlkönig mit Kron und Schweif?
Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif.
„Du liebes Kind, komm geh mit mir!
Gar schöne Spiele spiel ich mit dir;
Manch bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand,
Mein Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand.“
Mein Vater, mein Vater und hörest du nicht,
Was Erlkönig, mir leise verspricht?
Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind;
In düren Blättern säuselt der Wind.
„Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn?
Meine Töchter sollen dich watern schön;
Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn,
Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein.“
Mein Vater, mein Vater und siehst du nicht dort
Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort?
Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh es genau:
Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau.
„Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt.“
Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an!
Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan!
Dem Vater grauset, er reitet geschwind,
Er hält in Armen das ächzende Kind,
Erreicht den Hof mit Mühe und Not;
In seinen Armen das Kind war tot.
Ok, ok, maybe the poem is a little sad, but its still cool. Man, this guy can rhyme. He also wrote Faust. I was able to read the translated version of Faust, part I (it was pretty funny), but part II I haven't found a translated version yet (I got the German version on my computer. I'll read it when I get the time). And boy, can those translator do a wonderful job! They even got the whole entire book to rhyme like the original German version. Its amazing. You just got to read Faust, if you haven't already. And then there was Die Leidens des Jungen Werther (I read that in both German and English)... that is a novel that Goethe wrote. This guy is amazing. Most of them have a melancholic tint to it all, but it makes you think. and besides, lots of German stories all end up tragically.
Oh, so you may be wondering what the poem is about.... I'm no master translator but I can give it a go... (in one big paragraph)
Who rides so fast through night and wind? it is the father with his child; he had the boy well in the arm, he holds him more securely, he holds him warm. my son, why do you hide your face in fear. do you not see, my father, the elf king there (uh, i'm trying to rhyme)? the elf king with a train of a robe. my son, it is a fog. "you darling child, come with me! lots of wonderful games will i play with you. Many colorful flowers are on the beach, my mother has many golden garment." My father, my father and do you not hear, what the elf king has softly promised me? be tranquil, stay tranquil my child, in dry leaves the wind rustles. "will you, my fine boy, go with me? my daughter leads the nightly dance and will rock and dance and sing you to sleep." my father, my father, and don't you see there? the elf kings daughter in that gloomy place? my son, my son, i see it exactly, that it appears the old willows so gray. " i love you, your beautiful human form charms me and if you are not willing then i will need violence." my father, my father, now he has got a hold of me! the elf king has hurt me! The father shudders, he rides quickly, in his arms he holds the moaning child, reaching the farm with effort and distress, in his arms the child was dead.
and there you have it, crummy translating by yours truly. maybe if i have time i can try that masterful translating of Goethe's poem in rhyme, but that will take a long, long while. so, what has my book to say about this poem. well, basically the power of imagination can do a kid in!!! uh, here are the exact words: "In this ballad, 'Der Erlkonig,' Goethe expresses in the figure of a feverish child the power of the imagination and the magical spell that natural forces can exert on human beings." So, this thing is a ballad?!?! What are those? And now some more poems, the first written by me. I will put some more up, either mine or someone else's when i find the cool ones i like.
(written 3 Jan 04, re-posted)
Der Erlkönig
Wer reitet so spät durch Nach und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er faßt ihn sicher, er hält ihm warm.
Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?
Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht?
Den Erlkönig mit Kron und Schweif?
Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif.
„Du liebes Kind, komm geh mit mir!
Gar schöne Spiele spiel ich mit dir;
Manch bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand,
Mein Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand.“
Mein Vater, mein Vater und hörest du nicht,
Was Erlkönig, mir leise verspricht?
Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind;
In düren Blättern säuselt der Wind.
„Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn?
Meine Töchter sollen dich watern schön;
Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn,
Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein.“
Mein Vater, mein Vater und siehst du nicht dort
Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort?
Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh es genau:
Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau.
„Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt.“
Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an!
Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan!
Dem Vater grauset, er reitet geschwind,
Er hält in Armen das ächzende Kind,
Erreicht den Hof mit Mühe und Not;
In seinen Armen das Kind war tot.
Ok, ok, maybe the poem is a little sad, but its still cool. Man, this guy can rhyme. He also wrote Faust. I was able to read the translated version of Faust, part I (it was pretty funny), but part II I haven't found a translated version yet (I got the German version on my computer. I'll read it when I get the time). And boy, can those translator do a wonderful job! They even got the whole entire book to rhyme like the original German version. Its amazing. You just got to read Faust, if you haven't already. And then there was Die Leidens des Jungen Werther (I read that in both German and English)... that is a novel that Goethe wrote. This guy is amazing. Most of them have a melancholic tint to it all, but it makes you think. and besides, lots of German stories all end up tragically.
Oh, so you may be wondering what the poem is about.... I'm no master translator but I can give it a go... (in one big paragraph)
Who rides so fast through night and wind? it is the father with his child; he had the boy well in the arm, he holds him more securely, he holds him warm. my son, why do you hide your face in fear. do you not see, my father, the elf king there (uh, i'm trying to rhyme)? the elf king with a train of a robe. my son, it is a fog. "you darling child, come with me! lots of wonderful games will i play with you. Many colorful flowers are on the beach, my mother has many golden garment." My father, my father and do you not hear, what the elf king has softly promised me? be tranquil, stay tranquil my child, in dry leaves the wind rustles. "will you, my fine boy, go with me? my daughter leads the nightly dance and will rock and dance and sing you to sleep." my father, my father, and don't you see there? the elf kings daughter in that gloomy place? my son, my son, i see it exactly, that it appears the old willows so gray. " i love you, your beautiful human form charms me and if you are not willing then i will need violence." my father, my father, now he has got a hold of me! the elf king has hurt me! The father shudders, he rides quickly, in his arms he holds the moaning child, reaching the farm with effort and distress, in his arms the child was dead.
and there you have it, crummy translating by yours truly. maybe if i have time i can try that masterful translating of Goethe's poem in rhyme, but that will take a long, long while. so, what has my book to say about this poem. well, basically the power of imagination can do a kid in!!! uh, here are the exact words: "In this ballad, 'Der Erlkonig,' Goethe expresses in the figure of a feverish child the power of the imagination and the magical spell that natural forces can exert on human beings." So, this thing is a ballad?!?! What are those? And now some more poems, the first written by me. I will put some more up, either mine or someone else's when i find the cool ones i like.
(written 3 Jan 04, re-posted)
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