Great Poem, Great Song--One in German, One in Irish

This Wednesday I will have the opportunity to read a poem in German at the Lakeland Writing Carnival. This time I'll read from Rainer Maria Rilke's Das Stundenbuch, "The Book of Hours." Here is that magnificent poem:

Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe?
Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe?
Ich bin dein Krug (wenn ich zerscherbe?)
Ich bin dein Trank (wenn ich verderbe?)

Bin dein Gewand und dein Gewerbe,
mit mir verlierst du deinen Sinn.

Nach mir hast du kein Haus, darin
dich Worte, nah und warm, begrüßen.
Es fällt von deinen müden Füßen
die Samtsandale, die ich bin.

Dein großer Mantel lässt dich los.
Dein Blick, den ich mit meiner Wange
warm, wie mit einem Pfühl, empfange,
wird kommen, wird mich suchen, lange -
und legt beim Sonnenuntergange
sich fremden Steinen in den Schoß.

Was wirst du tun, Gott? Ich bin bange.

Here is an English translation:
WHAT WILL YOU DO?

What will you do, God, when I die?
I am your pitcher: I will shatter.
I am your drink: I will spoil.
I am your raiment and your trade:
without me you will lose all meaning.
After my death, you will have
no house where kind words
wrap you. The velvet slippers
will fall from your tired feet.
Your long cloak will release you.
Your glance, used to the cushion
of my warm cheek, will go out looking
for me and, when the sun goes down,
will lie in the lap of strange rocks.
What will you do, God? I'm anxious.

This isn't a terrible translation, but it sure loses the powerful magic, rhyme, and pacing of the German! Who would have thought German could be so beautiful!


Then I will sing a song in Irish Gaelic, An Ghaoth Aneas, "The Southwind." I have put the approximate pronunciation of each line between slashes (/):

An Ghaoth Aneas
An ghaoth aneas na mbraon mbog glas /un GHEE uh-NAHS nah MRANE mug glahs/
A ní gach faiche féarmhar /ah NEE gakh FEKH-uh FAIR-wahr/
Beir iasc is eas is grian I dteas /bare EE-usk iss AHS iss GREE-uhn ih DYAHS/
Is líon is meas ar ghéagaibh. /iss LEEN iss MAHS er YAYE-geeve/

Más síos ar fad a bhím féin seal /mahs SHEES er FAHD ah VEEM fane shahl/
Is mianach leatsa séideadh /iss MEE-uh-nakh LAHT-suh SHAY-duh/
Cuirim Rí na bhFeart dod chaomhaint ar neart /KREEM ree na vahrt d’ KHEENCH ernahrt/
Is tabhair don tír seo blas do bhéilse./iss taur don TYEER shuh blahs d’ VALE-shuh/


An English Translation (not word-for-word)

Dear South Wind of the soft green drops
Make every pasture sweet and grassy
Bring the salmon leaping up the falls
Bring the heat of the sun
Leave every branch laden with fruit

And when at times my spirit is low
It's your breath revives me
I pray that Almighty God may keep you strong
That you may always bring to this land
The taste of your mouth.



For a nice Youtube performance, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPGqcWiaVKk