I
“Mein blaues Klavier”
Ich habe zu Hause ein blaues Klavier
Und kenne doch keine Note.Es steht im Dunkel der Kellertür
seitdem die Welt verrohte.Es spielen Sternenhände vier
— Die Mondfrau sang im Boote —
Nun tanzen die Ratten im Geklirr.Zerbrochen ist die Klaviertür …
Ich beweine die blaue Tote.Ach liebe Engel öffnet mir
— Ich aß vom bitteren Brote —
Mir lebend schon die Himmelstür —
Auch wider dem Verbote.
The Washington Post provides the following translation of Lasker-Schüler’s poem “Mein blaues Klavier”:
“My Blue Piano”
At home I have a blue piano.
But I can’t play a note.It’s been in the shadow of the cellar door
Ever since the world went rotten.Four starry hands play harmonies.
The Woman in the Moon sang in her boat.
Now only rats dance to the clanks.The keyboard is in bits.
I weep for what is blue. Is dead.Sweet angels, I have eaten
Such bitter bread. Push open
The door of heaven. For me, for now —
Although I am still alive —
Although it is not allowed.
(from “After Every War: Twentieth-Century Women Poets.” Translations from the German by Eavan Boland. Princeton Univ. Press. Copyright 2004 by Eavan Boland)
I think it butchers the last stanza; I prefer Irmgard Hunt’s version:
“My Blue Piano”
I have a blue piano at home
but I am not able to play it.It stands in the dark of the cellar door
since the world has become barbaric.Four sidereal hands would play
— Good luna sang in her vessel —
But now the rats dance to the din.The keyboard is broken, silent …
I’m mourning the dead blue thing.Oh dear angels open up for me
— I ate of the bitter bread —
the gate of heaven for me alive
In spite of any commandment.
My main complaint is with the use of “commandment” (Gebot) instead of “prohibition” or similar (Verbot). In other places Hunt takes more poetic license than does Boland.
II
On my way to the grocery store (Woodman’s) today I took along a cheap old paperback edition of Marcus Aurelius‘s “Meditations” and although I didn’t get much of the text itself read, I made my way through the introduction, which provided an interesting overview of not only the emperor but also stoicism.
While his portrayal by Richard Harris in “Gladiator” is lacking in historical accuracy, I always loved Harris’s performance.
As for some daily Latin translations (from “Teach Yourself Latin”):
Chapter 1.2
1. Ubi sunt nautae?
2. Nautae in taberna sunt.
3. In tabernis puellae non sunt.
4. Ubi est Roma?
5. Roma in Italia est.
6. Aqua vitae.
7. Insula agricolarum.
8. Incolis Hispaniae et Italie.
9. Victoriarum Romae.
10. In tabernis nautarum.
1. Where are the sailors?
2. The sailors are in the tavern.
3. The girls are not in the taverns.
4. Where is Rome?
5. Rome is in Italy.
6. Water of life.
7. Island of farmers.
8. To/For the inhabitants of the Spain and Italy.
9. Of the victories of Rome.
10. In the taverns of the sailors.
Chapter 2.2
1. Primo amicitiam incolarum rogabat.
2. Feminas Galliae non monebatis et nunc in viis ambulant.
3. Italiam semper amabam, et nunc amo.
4. In insula Sicilia pugnabamus sed incolae amicitiam negabant.
5. Cur agricolas Graeciae superas?
6. Amicitiam puellarum sperabatis, O nautae, sed non impetratis.
7. Feminae Graeciae cum agricolis Italiae erant sed amicitiam negabant et pecuniam semper rogabant.
8. Feminae fabulam de Graecia narramus.
9. Agricola poetae viam non monstrat.
10. In viis Romae ambulant et poetas semper audiunt.
11. Cum nautis Galliae ambulatis, O feminae.
12. In taberna nautas monebamus sed semper pugnabant.
13. Ubi feminae Graeciae in Italia habitabant, cum agricolis Hispaniae pugnabam.
14. Poetae agricolas saepe concitant ubi fabulas de feminis Galliae narrant.
1. At first he was asking for the friendship of the inhabitants.
2. You (all) used to not warn the women of Greece and now they are walking on the streets.
3. I always used to love Italy, and I love it now.
4. On the island of Sicily we used to fight but the inhabitants denied friendship.
5. Why do you overcome the farmers of Greece?
6. You were hoping for the friendship of the girls, oh sailors, but you do not obtain it.
7. The women of Greece were with the farmers of Italy but they used to refuse friendship and always ask for money.
8. We tell the woman a story of Greece.
9. The farmer does not point out the road to the poet.
10. They walk the roads of Rome and always listen to the poets.
11. You all walk with the sailors of Gaul, O women.
12. We used to warn the sailors in the tavern but they always used to fight.
13. When the women of Greece used to live in Italy, I was fighting with the farmers of Spain.
14. The poets often stir up the farmers when they tell stories about the women of Gaul.
