Number 275: Ranier Maria Rilke "Autumn Day"

Autumn Day

Lord: it is time.
The summer was immense.

Lay your long shadows on the sundials,

and on the meadows let the winds go free.

Command the last fruits to be full;

give them just two more southern days,

urge them on to completion and chase

the last sweetness into the heavy wine.

Who has no house now, will never build one.

Who is alone now, will long remain so,

will stay awake, read, write long letters

and will wander restlessly up and down
the tree-lined streets,
when the leaves are drifting.

-- Rainier Maria Rilke
Translated by Edward Snow

October Day

Oh Lord, it's time, it's time. It was a great summer.

Lay your shadow now on the sundials,

and on the open fields let the winds go!

Give the tardy fruits the command to fill;

give them two Mediterranean days,

drive them on into their greatness, and press

the final sweetness into the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house by now will not build.

Whoever is alone now, will remain alone,

will wait up, read, write long letters,
and
walk along sidewalks under large trees,

not going home, as the leaves fall and blow away.

-- Rainier Maria Rilke
Translated by Robert Bly

Autumn Day

Lord, it is time. Let the great summer go,

Lay your long shadows on the sundials,

And over harvest piles let the winds blow.

Command the last fruits to be ripe;

Grant them some other southern hour,

Urge them to completion, and with power

Drive final sweetness to the heavy grape.

Who's homeless now, will for long stay alone.

No home will build his weary hands,

He'll wake, read, write letters long to friends

And will the alleys up and down

Walk restlessly, when falling leaves dance.

-- Rainier Maria Rilke
Translated by Guntram Deichsel

Autumn Day

Lord, it is time. The summer was long enough.
Lay your shadow upon the sundial and
loose the winds upon the corridors of the earth.

Order the last fruits to ripen;
give them only a couple of warm southern days,
command their ripeness to perfection and drive
the last bit of sweetness into the dense grapes.

Who has no house now, will build no more.
Who is alone now, will long stay so,
Will keep watch, sleepless, will read, write long letters
will wander back and forth on the streets
Restlessly amidst the swirling leaves.

-- Rainier Maria Rilke
Translated by Hap Mansfield

Hap Notes: Remember how we keep talking about translation being interpretation? These variations of Rilke say it all, do they not? I threw in my own stab at it just for another perspective. I'm not a particularly brilliant translator, I don't think, but it's not a terrible translation, anyway.

I think almost everyone at one point in the fall knows the sweet and sour sorrow Rilke is talking about.

This is the original German if you'd like to try it yourself:

Herbsttag

Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.

Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren, 

und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los.

Befiel den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gib ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage 

die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr. 

Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,

wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben 

und wird in den Alleen hin und her 

unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.

-- Rainier Maria Rilke


Here's where we've talked about Rilke before: http://happopoemouse.blogspot.com/2011/06/number-194-rainer-maria-rilke-archaic.html