Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Wanderers Night Song

Today's evening thought, posted by the famous Khan Semaj Mahgih spontaneously reminded me of Wandrers Nachtlied / Wanderers Night Song by Goethe.



Über allen Gipfeln
Ist Ruh',
In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch.
Die Vöglein schweigen im Walde.
Warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.

Over all peaks
Reigns calm,
In all treetops
Senseth thou
Barely a breath.
The birdies keep silent in the wood.
Simply wait, soon
Resteth thou, too.

translated by McSeanagall :)

18 comments:

  1. Beautiful, simply beautiful poem you chose Sir Sean. Lost I could get in those peaks, for some time. What, pray tell, are those gorgeous flowers?

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  2. Thanks, Mylady. :)
    Cima Rest is one of my favourite spots in Italy. As for the flower: Wish I knew. A rockrose, perhaps? Or a mallow? - A kingdom for a botanist! :)

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  3. If you feel like publishing, I'd be happy to proof read for you.

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  4. Lovely spot indeed, enhanced by Herr Goethe, in translation for me of course.

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  5. James,
    this very com(pli)ment from you fills me with happiness. ... Hm. ... Yes, indeed! Thank you!

    And as for your kind offer: :)

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  6. jmb,
    glad you like it. As for Cima Rest: It's simply wounderful up there.

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  7. Always good to read one of my favorite writers of all time. Although reading Faust, in German, as part of my 'education' created a trauma, so I went on with 'Die Leiden des jungen Werthers'.
    Goethe, Brecht, Mann, Schiller, Schopenauer, Kant, Nietzsche, das ganze Frankfurter Schule...
    You understand that I am traumatized by the Germans..))

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  8. Within the beautiful calm and treetops, I bet I could find a lot of orchids.
    :)

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  9. Ardent, Ardent, you would not dig them out to smuggle them down under, would you? :)
    Yes, I think you could find some orchids up there, but even better a place to find orchids: "The Burren“.

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  10. I intend to speak to the committee of our Orchid Society and see if they can arrange an Orchid Wilderness tour to 'the Burren'.

    The place encompasses breathtaking serenity.
    :)

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  11. :)... and in case you are looking for a guide ...
    Seems one day I ought to write a Burren-post.

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  12. stunning
    my german language skills are close to zero so i cannot comment on the translation - but the result is beautiful and that's enough for me
    thank you

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  13. Ah, Floots. Glad you like it. Thank you very much.

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  14. Would happily sit on Cima Rest,and listen to McSeanagal-Goethe. Such a need for spring, blue sky, flowers and grass...

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  15. Claudia,
    so you wandered almost two years back. :)
    Yes, once one has made all those dizzying serpentines, Cima Rest is a wonderful place to think ... not only of Wandererer's Nightsong.
    And of spring I, as snow's calling: 'Shovel me, Sean.'

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