I think ...

[Noah's Ark]


German:

Ich denk …


Ich denk: Dies währt nicht lang,
ein Ding ist, es heißt Bang,
und weh tut Hand um Hand –
Ja und?

Ich denk: Sieh zu, man stirbt,
der Saft, der in dir wirkt,
auch ihm gilt dies: Verdirb –
ja und?

Ich denk: Im Garten Eden
ist alles wieder eben,
die Gleichung neu gegeben –
ja und?

- trans. Paul Celan (1920-1970)

Literal translation:

Ich denk …
I think ...


Ich denk: Dies währt nicht lang,
I think: this does not last long,
ein Ding ist, es heißt Bang,
there is only one thing, which is called fear [anguish],
und weh tut Hand um Hand –
and hand gives pain to hand –
Ja und?
and so?

Ich denk: Sieh zu, man stirbt,
I think: take care, people die,
der Saft, der in dir wirkt,
the juice, which works in you,
auch ihm gilt dies: Verdirb –
also holds for him: ruin –
ja und?
and so?

Ich denk: Im Garten Eden
I think: in the Garden of Eden
ist alles wieder eben,
everything is equal again,
die Gleichung neu gegeben –
the equation newly given –
ja und?
and then?

[Paul Celan]

•

Versions:

Ich denk …

I think: it does not proceed long,
The thing is, it means Timidly,
And painfully the hand operates around you
And?

He believed me: do they die, it looks like,
the juice of the fruits, is his work
examined that
takes?

I think that if Edemski Garden
Always good back
Gliechung like new –
And you?

- بولا البحر الأسد

[Emily Dickinson]

I reason ...

I reason, Earth is short –
And Anguish – absolute –
And many hurt,
But, what of that?

I reason, we could die –
The best Vitality
Cannot excel Decay,
But, what of that?

I reason, that in Heaven –
Somehow, it will be even –
Some new Equation, given –
But, what of that?

- Emily Dickinson

[The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, ed. Thomas H. Johnson, (London: Faber, 1982) p.142. No. 301 (c. 1862)]